A Morning Read

A “sumercé” souvenir in Bogotá. Nathalia Angarita for The New York Times

Many Colombians call each other “sumercé,” a relic of colonial times meaning “your mercy.” They say the term signifies respect and affection, and that it has lost its hierarchical edge.

“At this point it marks no social class,” a Bogotá resident said. “We are all sumercé.”

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