pobladora

Pobladora is a feminine noun in Spanish that refers to a woman who settles or resides in a place. It is the feminine counterpart of poblador, and, like its masculine form, it derives from poblar, meaning to populate. The term can describe a female settler in historical contexts or a female resident in contemporary usage.

In historical uses, pobladoras are mentioned alongside pobladores as participants in the founding and development of towns and cities, especially during periods of colonization and frontier expansion in the Spanish-speaking world. While many accounts emphasize the roles of male settlers, the feminine form acknowledges women who contributed to population growth and community building.

In modern usage, pobladora commonly denotes a female resident of a town or neighborhood. The plural pobladoras refers to women inhabitants; when referring to a mixed or unspecified group, the masculine pobladores is typically used.

Related terms include poblado (settlement), población (population), and poblador (the masculine form). Etymologically, pobladora comes from poblar with the agentive suffix -dora, marking a female agent related to the action of populating.