Well that's what the Catalans (people from the Spanish region of Catalonia, et al) would have us believe.
http://www.stand-up-surf.com/2011/04/el-origen-del-sup-barcelona-1920/
"The origin of sup Barcelona 1920"

It's in Spanish, but you can get the gist. I'll translate it if anyone really wants me to (not being a smart-arse, lived in South America in the 80's for a year or so)......

PTWoody said...

Do they call it THUP in Barthelona?

no
In Barcelona they speak Catalan (although that article was in Spanish), and there is no θ (theta) sound in Catalan. There is no θ sound in Latin American Spanish either (where Spanish is called Castellano, "Castilian", along with various regions in Spain).
Some regions in Spain do use the θ sound (for c before e or i, & z), thus those people would pronounce Barcelona as Barthelona, & cerveza (beer) is pronounced servaysa in Latin America (& some parts of Spain), and thervaytha in the rest of Spain. S is never pronounced as θ (theta, or "the Spanish lisp").

There, aren't you sorry you asked?

The most fascinating explanation I heard for the Spanish lisp was that there was a king of spain some hundreds of years ago. He had a very bad lisp and to ingratiate themselves his subjects all took on his manner of speaking, and somehow it has stuck!

mollydooka said...

Well that's what the Catalans (people from the Spanish region of Catalonia, et al)

Catalonia is across France and Spain for the record...
just sayin'

I agree they are catalans and speak the lingo but administratively they're not part of it... It is very often the case with many region in europe like the basque country or arpitania for exemple where country borders do actually splits communities.

. SCORCHIO!!!!