eskapamiento bueno

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Pronunciations

escapamiento bueno (es-KAP-a-MYEN-toe BWEN-no) listen

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Definitions

  • sent. 'May the end be good' — said upon hearing of pregnancy or before giving birth.

Example Sentences

  • "After Luna officially announced her pregnancy, her friends gathered around to say 'eskapamiento bueno.'"

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Languages of Origin

  • Ladino

Etymology

  • The Judeo-Spanish verb "eskapar" means "to end / to finish." Combined with the adjective "bueno," the phrase means "a good end" or "a good finish" to the pregnancy.

      • Who Uses This

      • Ottoman Sephardim: Jews with ancestry in Spain and, post-expulsion, in Turkey, Greece, and other parts of the Ottoman Empire

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • None

      Alternative Spellings

      eskapamyento bweno, escapamiento bueno

Notes

  • In Sephardic folk religion, this expression is a way of wishing a pregnant woman well in her delivery. It is comparable to the Hebrew expression "besha'ah tovah" (in a good hour). Both expressions avoid saying "mazel tov" before the baby is born, which could potentially incur the wrath of the evil eye. A variation on this expression is "eskapamiento bueno ke tengash," adding on the second-person subjunctive so that it means, "May you have a good ending [to your pregnancy]."

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