caballero

Caballero is a Spanish word with several related meanings and uses. It originated as a noun for a mounted horseman or knight, and in modern Spanish it also serves as the general term for a gentleman or sir. The word derives from Latin caballarius, through Old Spanish caballero, and is cognate with French chevalier and Italian cavaliere, reflecting a common Romance-language root for horse and knight.

Historically, caballero designated a rider and warrior in medieval Iberia and among the forces of the Reconquista. It was used for knights in chivalric contexts and, over time, broadened to serve as an honorific for men of refinement or social standing.

In contemporary usage, caballero remains a polite address for men, similar to señor. It can appear in customer-service speech as a courteous form of address. It is also a common surname in Spanish-speaking countries, often reflecting ancestral occupation or status.

In culture and literature, caballero is frequently used to denote a knight-errant or noble gentleman; Don Quixote, for example, is described as a caballero, embodying chivalric ideals. The term also appears in heraldry and in references to orders of knighthood.

See also: chevalier, knight, caballero (disambiguation).