Che

Che

Che is a slang expression used commonly in Argentina, Uruguay, and some parts of Bolivia, meant generally to call someone's attention. In other Latin American countries, the term 'che' is used to refer to someone from Argentina.

The origin of this word is unclear. It is said that it may be derived from the native South American Guarani language's chi, which means simply "hello". In Tehuelche and Pampa languages 'che' means "man" and in Mapuche language it means "people". Others, however, argue that the word 'che' is derived from the old Spanish word ce (now in disuse).

Che Guevara earned his nickname from his frequent use of this expression, which, particularly to his Cuban comrades, was a curious feature of his idiolect.

Further reading