collegas

Collegas is not a standard orthography in Spanish or Portuguese; the common form in these languages is co­legas, the plural of co­laga. The term co­laga and its plural co­le­gas derive from Latin col­lega, meaning a partner chosen or joined for a common purpose. In both Spanish and Portuguese, the word denotes a colleague, peer, or associate, and it can refer to workers, classmates, or members of a professional or social group.

In usage, co­le­gas primarily designates people who share a workplace, a class, or a project. It carries neutral to positive connotations and can also express camaraderie or solidarity among peers. The singular form co­le­ga is gendered in many contexts (co­laga for a female colleague, co­le­gao for a male), but modern usage tends to treat co­le­ga and its plural as gender-inclusive when referring to mixed groups.

In Spanish, co­le­gas can refer to colleagues at work, classmates in school, or friends who share common aims. In Portuguese, the meaning is analogous, extending to coworkers and peers; the term is commonly used in both formal and informal settings.

In English-language contexts, the standard word is colleagues. The form collegas with two l’s is not standard in Spanish or Portuguese and may appear only as a misspelling, a transliteration artifact, or a proper noun such as a surname or brand. When writing in English about Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking contexts, use colleagues or co­le­gas as appropriate.

See also: colleague, collegiality, co­le­ga, co­le­gas (plural).