Andalou

Andalou is an adjective and historical demonym used in several languages to denote something or someone from Andalusia, a region in southern Spain. In French, the masculine form andalou and the feminine andalouse correspond to the Spanish andaluço/andaluz terms. In English, the usual adjective is Andalusian, and andalou is rarely used outside specific historical or literary contexts. The term ultimately derives from the region’s name, with its best-known modern association appearing in the French title of a famous film.

The most prominent usage of the word in popular culture is in the 1929 surrealist film Un Chien andalou, directed by Luis Buñuel and co-created with Salvador Dalí. The title translates to An Andalusian Dog in English, and the work is regarded as a landmark of surrealist cinema, noted for its dreamlike imagery and avant-garde structure. The choice of andalou in the title reflects the French usage of the term rather than a direct Spanish citation.

Beyond the film, andalou appears occasionally in French-language texts as the standard masculine form of the adjective or noun referring to an Andalusian person or thing. In other languages, occurrences are rare and typically limited to discussions of Andalusia, cultural topics, or historical references. In contemporary English usage, Andalusian is the preferred term, with andalou largely confined to titles, quotations, or specific linguistic discussions.