Etymology Map
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Machismo

3 stages from Spanish to English.

Today it means strong or aggressive masculine pride

Where does the word "machismo" come from? It comes from Spanish macho, passing through Mexican Spanish before entering English (1940s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
macho
Spanish · medieval
"male"
male, from Latin 'masculus'
2
Stage 2 of 3
machismo
Mexican Spanish · 1900s
"male pride"
exaggerated masculinity
3
Stage 3 of 3
machismo
English · 1940s
"male chauvinism"
borrowed in writing about Mexican and Latin American society
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Read the full story

Machismo’s story begins in Spanish: macho meant “male.” Male, from Latin 'masculus'. By 1900s, the word had taken hold in Mexican Spanish as machismo. Exaggerated masculinity. It reached English by 1940s as machismo. Borrowed in writing about Mexican and Latin American society. Today, machismo means strong or aggressive masculine pride.