hacienda

Where does the word "hacienda" come from? It comes from Latin facienda, passing through Spanish before entering English (1760s).

Hacienda’s story begins in Latin: facienda meant “things to be done.” Things to be done, from facere (to do), the root behind an estate's productive work. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as hacienda. Settled in Spanish for a large landed estate, especially in Latin America. It reached English by 1760s as hacienda. From Latin 'facienda', things to be done, used for estate work. Today, hacienda means a large estate or ranch, especially in a Spanish-speaking country.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient facienda "things to be done", things to be done, from facere (to do), the root behind an estate's productive work.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s hacienda "a large landed estate", settled in Spanish for a large landed estate, especially in Latin America.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1760s hacienda "a large estate, especially in a Spanish-speaking country", from Latin 'facienda', things to be done, used for estate work.