alcalde

See also: Alcalde and alcaide

English

Etymology

Spanish alcalde, from Arabic اَلْقَاضِي (al-qāḍī, “judge”). Doublet of qadi and casis.

Noun

alcalde (plural alcaldes)

1. In Spain or Latin America, a municipal magistrate who has both judicial and administrative functions.

Related terms

• qadi

Usage notes

• Not to be confused with alcaide.

Further reading

• alcalde on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

---

Catalan

Etymology

From Arabic اَلْقَاضِي (al-qāḍī, “judge”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əlˈkal.ðə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [alˈkal.ðe]

Noun

alcalde m or f (plural alcaldes, feminine alcaldessa)

1. mayor

Related terms

• alcaldada
• alcaldia

Further reading

• “alcalde” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
• “alcalde” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “alcalde”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024

---

Chibcha

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Spanish alcalde.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alkalde/

Noun

alcalde

1. mayor

References

• Gómez Aldana D. F., Análisis morfológico del Vocabulario 158 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. Grupo de Investigación Muysccubun. 2013.

---

Classical Nahuatl

Etymology

From Spanish alcalde, from Andalusian Arabic اَلْقَاضِي, from Arabic قَاضٍ (qāḍin, “judge”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [aɬˈkáːɬ.teʔ]

Noun

alcalde (animate, plural alcaldesmeh)

1. A municipal judge or member of the cabildo.
   • 1555, Alonso de Molina, Aqui comienca vn vocabulario en la lengua castellana y mexicana, f. 14r.

     Alcalde.  lo miſmo.

     A magistrate. the same.

Derived terms

• alcaldeyōtl

References

• Alonso de Molina (1571) Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, Editorial Porrúa

---

Galician

Etymology

From Old Galician and Old Galician-Portuguese alcalde, from Old Spanish alcalde, from Arabic اَلْقَاضِي (al-qāḍī, “judge”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈkalðe̝/

Noun

alcalde m (plural alcaldes, feminine alcaldesa, feminine plural alcaldesas)

1. mayor (leader of a city)
   • 1437, A. Rodríguez González (ed.), Livro do Concello de Pontevedra (1431-1463). Pontevedra: Museo de Pontevedra, page 127:

     Pero Ares d'Aldãa, tenente lugar ẽna dita billa e torres dela por noso señor o arçebispo de Santiago dom Lopo, e Pero Falcon, juis, Juan Garçia Rouquo, Lourenço Yanes de Pastoris, alcaldes, Alvaro Lopes, Garçia Goterres, Afonso Basques, Fernan Basques, jurados, Pero de Plazer, procurador do dito Conçello, diseron que por rason que algũus mercadores e suas mercadorias e navios se temian e reçeavan de vĩir a esta dita billa e seu porto con as ditas suas mercadorias e navios, entendendo de seer prendados e penorados por las mercadorias que Gonçalvo Correa tomara eno dito porto e levara ẽna barcha chamada per nome "Rostro Fremoso"

     Pedro Ares de Aldán, lieutenant in this town [Pontevedra] and it's towers on behalf of our lord the archbishop of Santiado Don Lopo, and Pedro Falcón, judge; Xoán Garcia Rouco, Lourenzo Yanes de Pastoriza, mayors; Álvaro López, Garcia Gotérrez, Afonso Vázquez, Fernán Vázquez, councilors; Pedro de Placer, town agent; they said that since certain merchants and their goods and ships feared and distrusted coming to this town and harbor with their mentioned goods and ships, believing that they would be seized and confiscated because of the trade goods that Gonzalo Correa took at this harbor and carried away in the ship named "Beauty Face";

Related terms

• alcaldía

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “alcalde”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “alcalde”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “alcalde”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “alcalde”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “alcalde”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

---

Romanian

Etymology

From Spanish alcalde, from Arabic اَلْقَاضِي (al-qāḍī, “judge”).

Noun

alcalde m (plural alcalzi)

1. alcalde

Declension

Declension of alcalde

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) alcalde	alcaldeul	(niște) alcalzi	alcalzii
genitive/dative	(unui) alcalde	alcaldeului	(unor) alcalzi	alcalzilor
vocative	alcaldeule		alcalzilor

---

Spanish

Etymology

From Old Spanish alcalde, alcalle, from Arabic اَلْقَاضِي (al-qāḍī, “the judge”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈkalde/ [alˈkal̪.d̪e]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

Noun

alcalde m (plural alcaldes, feminine alcaldesa, feminine plural alcaldesas)

1. mayor (the leader of a city or a municipality)

   Synonyms: (Argentina) intendente, edil

2. (Spain, Southwestern US) an official such as an administrator, mayor, or judge

Derived terms

• alcaldable
• alcalde pedáneo
• alcaldía
• alcaldada
• vicealcalde (“deputy mayor”)

Related terms

• alcaldía

Descendants

• → English: alcalde
• → Classical Nahuatl: alcalde
• → Tagalog: alkalde
• → Western Highland Chatino: rle

See also

• burgomaestre
• edil

Further reading

• “alcalde”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014