antiguos

Antiguos is the plural masculine form of the Spanish adjective antiguo, meaning old or ancient. It describes things from the past, such as objects, places, or periods, and can also refer to people connected with earlier times. The feminine forms are antigua (singular) and antiguas (plural).

Etymology: antiguo comes from Latin antiquus, meaning "ancient." The word belongs to the Romance evolution of Latin into Spanish and is related to the term antigüedad, or antiquity.

Usage: As an attributive adjective, antiguo agrees in gender and number with the noun: edificios antiguos, época antigua. As a substantive, los antiguos can denote ancestors or the inhabitants of antiquity, as in the phrase los antiguos griegos.

In modern Spanish, antiguo can also convey the sense of "former" or "previous" when applied to people or positions: su antiguo jefe, su antiguo empleo. It is common in historical, archaeological, and cultural contexts to refer to artefactos, sitios, o tradiciones antiguas.

Related terms include antigüedad (antiquity) and the feminine forms antigua/antiguas, depending on gender and number.