Word of the Day, June 05: ‘Hidalgo’

Word of the Day: HIDALGO
Pronunciation: UK/hɪˈdæl.ɡəʊ/ or US/hɪˈdæl.ɡoʊ/

Meaning

Hidalgo is a Spanish word meaning “nobleman” or “member of the lower nobility.”

Examples for daily usage:

• He carried himself like a hidalgo, always polite and dignified.
• Though he wasn’t rich, he had the pride of a true hidalgo.

Origin and history

The word "hidalgo", which refers to a member of the lower Spanish nobility, originates from the Spanish language. It is a contraction of the earlier Spanish phrase hijo de algo (or fijo de algo"), which literally translates to "son of something" or "a person born into wealth".

Also read May 29 word of the day here

Cultural significance and modern usage

Many hidalgos lived modestly despite their noble status. The image of a proud but poor gentleman became common in Spanish literature.

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811) is revered as the Father of the Nation in Mexico.

On September 16, 1810, he issued the Grito de Dolores (Cry of Dolores) in Dolores, Guanajuato. This historic speech and call to arms officially initiated the Mexican War of Independence against Spanish rule.

Brought by 19th-century Cornish miners, this heritage birthed the iconic paste (a savory meat pastry similar to a Cornish pasty) and introduced soccer to Hidalgo is globally celebrated for its regional cuisine, particularly barbacoa de borrego (slow-roasted lamb) and pulque (an ancestral fermented agave drink)

Interesting facts:

The legendary dreamer and knight-errant Don Quixote is described as a rural hidalgo.

“Hidalgo” became a common surname across Spanish-speaking countries.

Examples from literature:

• He is a man of merit, an hidalgo by birth, and—whether thou likest or not to hear it, Pedro—a favorite of the king.- Vasco Nuñez de Balboa by Frederick A. Ober
• Even Jack Jaikes, a dark figure of a Spanish hidalgo, in engineer's blue serge and pockets continually bulging with spanners, looked in and said with brusque courtesy, "Anything I can do for you, Chief?" - The White Plumes of Navarre: A Romance of the Wars of Religion by S. R. Crockett
• I may remark that the poncho is the usual cloak worn by all ranks, from the hidalgo to the poorest civilized Indian, differing only in material and texture. - The Young Llanero: A Story of War and Wild Life in Venezuela by Kingston
• It seems to be conscious of its want of usefulness for food or shade, yet has a dignity of its own, a pride of unmixed blood and royal descent—the hidalgo of the soil.- To Cuba and Back by Richard Henry Dana

Synonyms:

• Seigneur
• Chevalier
• Nawab
• Sheikh
• Nabob
• Baron

Antonyms:

• Peasant
• Peon
• Boor
• Churl
• Fellah
• Commoner

Read more word of the day here.