I have also always seen Vecinos de ****** as being neighbors and
then usually the Rancho is named.
--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Pacorro73@a... wrote:
> As far as I know vecino means "resident," as of a particular town.
My Nuevo
> Espasa Ilustrado Dictionary defines vecino as "adj, s. 1. Que
habita con otros
> en un mismo pueblo, barrio o casa. 2. Cercano." So there. This so
called
> "expert" was probaby confusing the fact that after an Indian was
converted,
> he/she could no longer live out in the wild among other Indians.
He/she had to
> live at the mission, thus becoming a "vecino," a resident, of said
mission, just
> like all the other residents or inhabitants of the mission like the
> Spaniards, mestizos, and slaves.
>
> The little cross (+) used on the margins of archives or after
someone's name
> simply means that the person has passed away. It is common usage
in Spanish
> writing to refer to Fulano de Tal (+), with the little cross after
his/her
> name, to indicate that the person is dead. I see it frequently
when reading
> Spanish books or articles.
>
> Steven H.
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