hombre

Where does the word "hombre" come from? It comes from Latin hominem, passing through Spanish before entering English (1840s).

Hombre’s story begins in Latin: hominem meant “person.” A human being. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Spanish as hombre. Man. It reached English by 1840s as hombre. 'tough hombre' became a stock phrase of Western novels and films. Today, hombre means a man, especially a tough one.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient hominem "person", a human being.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · medieval hombre "man", man.
3. Stage 3 · American English · 1840s hombre "man, tough guy", 'tough hombre' became a stock phrase of Western novels and films.