A cantina is a type of bar common in Latin America and Spain. The word is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian language word for a Wine cellar, winery, or vault.[ cantina. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000 ]
In Italy, the word cantina refers to a room below the ground level where wine and other products such as salami are stored.[ Salame di felino - Naso&Gola ]
As cantine it was used to refer to the shop of a sutler, an army camp follower.
Types of cantinas
Spain
In
Spain, a
cantina is a bar located in a
train station or any establishment located at or near a where food and drinks are served.
Cantina was one of the foreign words that entered in from Renaissance Italy. During the 16th century, the Spanish Empire included large holdings in Italy.[ Diccionario de Autoridades. Edición facsímil. A-C. Real Academia Española (Madrid: Editorial Gredos, 1979), 125.]
The cantina features in one of the of Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645). This is a quatrain from that sonnet:
Mexico
In rural
Mexico, a
cantina traditionally is a kind of bar frequented by males for drinking alcohol and eating
botanas (appetizers). Some
cantinas are also known for being places where people gather to play dominoes, cards or other table games. Cantinas can often be distinguished by signs that expressly prohibit entrance to women and minors, as opposed to a
club,
salon de bailar (dance hall), or
salon de mariachi (typified by the Salon Tenampa, at the
Plaza Garibaldi in
Mexico City) which are intended for socializing between the sexes.
Also, some cantinas explicitly prohibit entrance to dogs and men in police or military uniform. Some of the traditional restrictions on entry to cantinas are beginning to fade away. However, in many areas it is still viewed as scandalous for proper ladies to be seen visiting a genuine
cantina.
[ The People's Guide to Mexico (Carl Franz, Avalon Travel Publishing)]
Angola
Specifically In the
musseques (Rural Areas) a
cantina traditionally is a corner shop or bar frequented by the locals where they drink alcohol and eat
petiscos (appetizers). Some
cantinas in Angola are places where people gather to dance or play games.
United States
A cantina in the U.S. is simply a tavern with a Southwestern or Mexican motif that serves traditional alcoholic Mexican drinks. In the 1890s,
cantina entered
American English from the
Spanish language in the Southwest United States with the meaning of "bar room,
Western saloon".
Other
The term
cantina entered the
French language circa 1710.
See also
External links
