For the French region, see Country Gabaye.
Gabacho, like franchute, is a derogatory way of referring to French citizens and everything that has to do with France. Etymology One of the earliest recorded uses of this term was in 1825. In July of that year, villagers of Cerdagne, who had been divided between Spain and France following the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659, both nationalities, concentrated in Puigcerdá to celebrate festivities. However, the celebration ended in a massacre provoked by the Spaniards, who beat the French while shouting "mateu els gavach, han governat Espanya massa temps!" (in Castilian, kill the gabachos, they have ruled Spain for too long!). The word gavatx meant foreigner in Catalan, and was used pejoratively in the Cerdanya, especially against the French. Gavatx, according to many scholars, comes from Gabaye, a French region that contributed many immigrants to Spain at the beginning of the Modern Age, although there are conflicting opinions.
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