Spanish is a language rich in accents, borrowings, singular concepts that change in each region, antediluvian crutches and others, in plan, updated. Also translations that have derived in new terms due to the passage of time and the phonetics of each place and expressions. Many expressions. As in the case we are dealing with, which is closely related to the one from Seville: “Quien fue a Sevilla perdió su silla” (He who went to Seville lost his chair).
The contribution of linguistics gives us these origins and meanings and has fun with the research of language. Where does this expression come from and why does Seville enter into the equation?
For the context of Spanish speakers who do not know this popular saying and for those who are in the process of learning Spanish, it is used to refer to someone who, after being absent and returning to a place, finds another person taking his or her place.
The purpose is purely sobering. The moral, in any case, urges to stay (in the same city, in the same job, with the same dynamics) and to recover another saying, better the good known than the bad unknown.
Why “He who went to Seville, lost his chair”?
In the first instance, the phrase in question had a slight variation: “Quien se fue de Sevilla, perdió su silla” (He who left Seville, lost his chair). Its origin dates back to the 15th century during the reign of Henry IV of Castile.
The archbishop of Seville, Alonso de Fonseca y Ulloa, a confidant of the king and half-brother of Isabella I the Catholic, the future sovereign, had a nephew who was granted the archbishopric of Santiago de Compostela.
The context in Galicia at the time was marked by disputes, so the nephew asked his uncle to travel north beforehand to appease, as far as possible, the tensions in the area. Alonso agreed and left his nephew in his place in Seville.
However, by the time the waters returned to their course in Galicia and Alonso de Fonseca returned to Seville, he found that his nephew refused to give him back his position as archbishop. This family revolt was very controversial in Seville and it was at this time that the expression “He who left Seville lost his seat” became popular.
Finally, the conflict was resolved by means of a papal order from Pius II and the intervention of the King of Castile, thus achieving that Alonso de Fonseca y Ulloa had the position that corresponded to him in Seville.
Additions to the proverb
Another of the peculiarities of the Spanish proverb or of certain expressions of this language is the proliferation of additions. In short, skilful retorts with rhetoric.
In this case, and as detailed by the Cervantes Institute, the most widespread is “Quien fue a Sevilla, perdió su silla, y quien fue a Aragón se la encontró” (He who went to Seville lost his chair, and he who went to Aragon found it).
Other versions are: “y quien fue a Jerez, la perdió otra vez”, “quien fue y volvió, a garrotazos se la quitó” or “quien fue y volvió, la recobró/encontró” and even others that vary depending on their geographical area.
Namely: “he who went to Seville, lost his chair, and he who went to Morón, lost his chair” or “he who went to Padrón [Galicia], lost his chair”.
Words of the province
The Sevillian vocabulary, very rich in nuances, can boast much more than this expression so widespread throughout the country.
The vade-mecum of words includes ancient forms but also many other terms that continue to be used over time, such as ” calentitos” or “búcaros”. Here we compile some of them.