caballería

See also: caballeria

Asturian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kabaʎeˈɾia/ [ka.β̞a.ʎeˈɾi.a]
• Rhymes: -ia
• Syllabification: ca‧ba‧lle‧rí‧a

Noun

caballería f (plural caballeríes)

1. horse

   Synonym: caballu

2. cavalry

Further reading

• Xosé Lluis García Arias (2002–2004), “caballería”, in Diccionario general de la lengua asturiana [General Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Spanish), Editorial Prensa Asturiana, →ISBN
• “caballería”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1ª edición, Academia de la Llingua Asturiana, 2000, →ISBN

Spanish

Etymology

From caballero (“horseman, gentleman, cowboy”) +‎ -ía (“-y: forming nouns”), from Late Latin caballārius (“horseman, rider”), from Latin caballus (“horse”) + -ārius (“-ary”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kabaʝeˈɾia/ [ka.β̞a.ʝeˈɾi.a]

• IPA^(key): /kabaʝeˈɾia/ [ka.β̞a.ʝeˈɾi.a] (Equatorial Guinea, most of Latin America and Spain)
• IPA^(key): /kabaʎeˈɾia/ [ka.β̞a.ʎeˈɾi.a] (Andes Mountains, rustic northern Spain, Paraguay, Philippines)
• IPA^(key): /kabaʃeˈɾia/ [ka.β̞a.ʃeˈɾi.a] (Buenos Aires and environs)
• IPA^(key): /kabaʒeˈɾia/ [ka.β̞a.ʒeˈɾi.a] (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay)

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ia
• Syllabification: ca‧ba‧lle‧rí‧a

Noun

caballería f (plural caballerías)

1. cavalry (soldiers mounted on horses)
2. cavalry (a soldier mounted on a horse)
3. mount (any animal used for riding)

   Synonym: montura

   • 1622, Francisco de Quevedo, La visita de los chistes:

     El no decir verdad será mérito; el embuste y la trapaza, caballería; y la insolencia, donaire.

     The not saying truth will be virtuous; the hoax and ruse cavalierism; and the insolence elegance.

4. (historical, law) knight's fee (the land necessary to maintain a mounted soldier, legally bound to provide military service)
5. (historical) caballeria (a traditional unit of land area equivalent to about 38.64 ha)
6. synonym of caballerosidad: chivalry (the behavior proper to a lord or gentleman)

Coordinate terms

• (unit of area): celemín (¹⁄₇₂₀ caballería), fanega (¹⁄₆₀ caballería), yugada (⁵⁄₆ caballería)

Derived terms

• caballería ligera
• libro de caballerías
• orden de caballería

Descendants

• English: caballeria

Further reading

• “caballería”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025