How do you say MANDE in English?
In a different reality, things happened differently. |
The term MANDE (short for MANDE USTED)
is not that common in Latin America and only the citizens of Ecuador and a few other countries use it regularly.
Translated literally is COMMAND ME, but that meaning has been lost. It probably came from the time when Spain ruled what was to be Latin America long ago and enslaved and abused of most of the indigenous people (our true ancestors). One of the things Indians were obliged to do was to respond "¡Mande!" every time their Spaniard masters called them. For some reason this expression of servitude derived into a sign of respect to elders and in general to those in a superior rank and eventually into what is these days: just a way to respond when someone calls you by name.
"Juan..."
"Mande..."
This dialog is not unlikely and is in fact a cultural signal that helps recognize an Ecuadorian when you hear him / her saying that.
MANDE as such would be YES?, PARDON? or even HOW CAN I HELP YOU?.
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