Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “alcalde” come from?

Alcalde comes from Spanish alcalde, from Arabic qāḍī, from Arabic qāḍin, from Arabic qāḍā meaning "to judge."

alcalde (English): In Spain or Latin America, a municipal magistrate...

Definitions

  1. In Spain or Latin America, a municipal magistrate...

Ancestry of “alcalde”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishalcaldemayor; an official such as an administrator,...
2Old Spanishalcalde—
3Arabicقاضto demolish; judge; fatal, lethal, deadly
4Arabicقَضَىto judge; to perform
Every word from Arabic قَضَى →