cavernícola

See also: cavernicola

Catalan

Etymology

From caverna +‎ -cola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central) [kə.βərˈni.ku.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [kə.vərˈni.ko.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ka.veɾˈni.ko.la]
• IPA^(key): (Northwestern) [ka.βerˈni.ko.la]

• Audio (Barcelona):

  (file)

Adjective

cavernícola m or f (masculine and feminine plural cavernícoles)

1. cave-dwelling

   Synonym: troglodita

2. (figurative) reactionary, backward

   Synonyms: reaccionari, retrògrad

Noun

cavernícola m or f (plural cavernícoles)

1. cave dweller

   Synonyms: troglodita, home de les cavernes

Further reading

• “cavernícola”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “cavernícola”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.veʁˈni.ko.lɐ/ [ka.veɦˈni.ko.lɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.veʁˈni.ko.lɐ/ [ka.veɦˈni.ko.lɐ]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ka.veɾˈni.ko.lɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ka.veʁˈni.ko.lɐ/
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ka.veɻˈni.ko.lɐ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.vɨɾˈni.ku.lɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.vɨɾˈni.ku.lɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.bɨɾˈni.ku.lɐ/ [kɐ.βɨɾˈni.ku.lɐ]

• Rhymes: (Brazil) -ikolɐ, (Portugal) -ikulɐ
• Hyphenation: ca‧ver‧ní‧co‧la

Noun

cavernícola m or f by sense (plural cavernícolas)

1. cave-dweller

Adjective

cavernícola m or f (plural cavernícolas)

1. cave-dwelling

Further reading

• “cavernícola”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “cavernícola”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *-ós

Proto-Indo-European *-ós

Proto-Indo-European *ḱowh₁ós?

Proto-Italic *kawos

Latin cavus

Latin -erna

Latin cavernalbor.

Spanish caverna

Proto-Indo-European *kʷelh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-eti

Proto-Indo-European *kʷélh₁eti

Proto-Italic *kʷelō

Latin colō

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Italic *-ā

Latin -a

Latin -colalbor.

Spanish -cola

Spanish cavernícola

From caverna + -cola.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kabeɾˈnikola/ [ka.β̞eɾˈni.ko.la]
• Rhymes: -ikola
• Syllabification: ca‧ver‧ní‧co‧la

Adjective

cavernícola m or f (masculine and feminine plural cavernícolas)

1. (relational) caveman; cavemanlike
2. (figurative, colloquial) reactionary

   Synonym: retrógrado

Noun

cavernícola m or f by sense (plural cavernícolas)

1. caveman, cavewoman
2. (informal, figuratively, derogatory) caveman; an old-fashioned person

Further reading

• “cavernícola”, 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