Spigotty--parallels in Slavic and Greek

[Gerald Cohen]

    Sam Clements spotted the 1908 Saturday Evening  Post article which
clarifies that "spigotty" (Latino) derives from the Pidgin English of
Panamanians who said "(No) spik d' English" (22 Aug. 2003 ads-l
message).
Barry Popik then added his 15 Dec. 2003 message presenting the entire article.

    An interesting parallel turns up in Slavic: nemec "German," known
to derive from nem- "dumb, mute." Cf. also Greek barbaroi "all who
were not Greek or did not speak Greek"--known to derive from a
stammering/babbling "bar-bar-bar."

Gerald Cohen