Genio. Span. and Port. Genius; spirit.
Genoui, dimin. Genouillos. Moor. A Genoese, Genoese children.
Gente, Jente. Span. and Port. People.
Germanía. Span. According to the dictionaries, the dialect or mode of speech used by gypsies, thieves, and ruffians, to prevent their being understood, in which they give special meanings to ordinary words (e.g. aguila, eagle = a clever thief), or invent words of their own (e.g. almifor = horse). No doubt Germanía contains gypsy words, but it is no more identical with Romany than are the Fr. Argot or the Eng. Cant. See Z. ii. 129.
Gibil. Arab. A hill.
Ginete. Span. A good horseman. À la gineta, in the Moorish style (of riding). Diez, strangely enough, would derive this Arab or Moorish word from the Grk. μυμνήτης, a naked or light-armed foot soldier. It is really derived from the proper name Zeneta, a Berber tribe who furnished the finest horsemen to the Spanish Moors (Cron. Alfonso X., fo. 6 d, an. 1263). In Catalan the word has become janetz. Our English word “jennet” may be derived from the same source.
Girar. Span. and Port. To turn round.
Gitana. Thieves’ slang. Twelve ounces of bread. See i. 177.
Gitano. Span. A gypsy. A corrupted form of Egiptiano, an Egyptian. R. 269; McR. 109. See Zincalo.
Godo. Span. and Port. A Goth; Gothic.