hidalgos
Minor Spanish nobles
Hidalgos is the plural of hidalgo, a member of the lower Spanish nobility.
The term designated gentlemen who claimed noble blood but often lacked wealth or land—proud of lineage, short on means.
Don Quixote is literature's most famous hidalgo.
The word appears in discussions of Spanish colonial history and Latin American place names.
Spanish term for gentleman
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- peerageSystem of noble ranks
- dukeHighest-ranking nobleman
- marquessNobleman below duke
earl · viscount · baron · lord · squire · manor · heraldry · escutcheon
Knightly code of honor
- valorCourage in danger
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
- dutyRequired moral task
courage · loyalty · honor · reputation · virtue · dignity · gallantry · noblesse oblige
Spanish colonial soldiers
- ReconquistaIberian Christian territorial recovery
- CortésSpanish conqueror of Mexico
- PizarroConquistador of Peru
- El CidMedieval Spanish warrior-hero
feudalism · Middle Ages · Age of Discovery · encomienda · creoles · caballeros · New World · colonization
Delusional self-proclaimed knight-errant
- quixoticImpractically pursuing lofty goals
- chivalric romanceMedieval heroic love narrative
- knight-errantMedieval adventure-seeking warrior
- Sancho PanzaSquire to a knight-errant
Respectful, considerate behavior
- refinementElegance of manner
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
- eleganceRefined, graceful quality
cultivation · civility · decorum · etiquette · gentlemanliness · sophistication · breeding · propriety
caballero
Spanish term for gentleman
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- peerageSystem of noble ranks
- dukeHighest-ranking nobleman
marquess · earl · viscount · baron · lord · squire · manor · heraldry · escutcheon · coat of arms
chivalry
Knightly code of honor
- valorCourage in danger
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- prideSatisfaction from one's achievements
duty · courage · loyalty · honor · reputation · virtue · dignity · gallantry · noblesse oblige · rectitude
conquistadors
Spanish colonial soldiers
- ReconquistaIberian Christian territorial recovery
- CortésSpanish conqueror of Mexico
- PizarroConquistador of Peru
El Cid · feudalism · Middle Ages · Age of Discovery · encomienda · creoles · caballeros · New World · colonization · limpieza de sangre
Don Quixote
Delusional self-proclaimed knight-errant
- quixoticImpractically pursuing lofty goals
- chivalric romanceMedieval heroic love narrative
- knight-errantMedieval adventure-seeking warrior
Cervantes · Sancho Panza · windmills · La Mancha · picaresque
courtesy
Respectful, considerate behavior
- refinementElegance of manner
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- graceEffortless beauty of motion
elegance · cultivation · civility · decorum · etiquette · gentlemanliness · sophistication · breeding · propriety · urbanity
hidalgosgrandees
Persons of eminence
grandes · dukes · marquesses · counts · magnates
hidalgoscommoners
Ordinary citizens, untitled
peasants · plebeians · common folk · serfs · laborers