Etymology Map
Back to all words

Hidalgo

3 stages from Old Spanish to English.

Today it means a member of the lower Spanish nobility

Where does the word "hidalgo" come from? It comes from Old Spanish fijo d'algo, passing through Spanish before entering English (1590s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
fijo d'algo
Old Spanish · medieval
"son of wealth"
'son of something', i.e. of property
2
Stage 2 of 3
hidalgo
Spanish · 1500s
"minor noble"
Don Quixote is a poor hidalgo of La Mancha
3
Stage 3 of 3
hidalgo
English · 1590s
"Spanish noble"
borrowed in accounts of Spain
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Hidalgo’s story begins in Old Spanish: fijo d'algo meant “son of wealth.” 'son of something', i.e. of property. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as hidalgo. Don Quixote is a poor hidalgo of La Mancha. It reached English by 1590s as hidalgo. Borrowed in accounts of Spain. Today, hidalgo means a member of the lower Spanish nobility.