Glossary of terms used in Parlamentos on this site

Introduction

In the translation process, some of these terms have been translated into English: for example, the Spanish haciendas has been translated as "estates". However, other Spanish words have meanings specific enough that there is no equivalent in English, so that, for example, Don and Señor do not have the same sense as their closest English terms, Mr. and Sir; or they may be technical terms in Spanish, such as Real Hacienda; or they may be words that the Spanish themselves adopted from Mapudungun, the Indigenous language of the Mapuches, as colonizers have often done. This is the case for many of the words that refer to Mapuche institutions (e.g. Butalmapus) or social ranks (e.g. Cacique).

In the entries that follow, if a Spanish or Mapudungun word has been used directly in our translations, it will appear as the headword of the entry in italics. If an English word has been used to translate it, that will appear as the first headword, and then the Spanish or Mapudungun word will follow in italics. Where there are multiple spellings of a word in the original documents or in different editions of the original documents, those appear in the headword of the entry separated by semicolons.

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Terms and Definitions

Archdeacon / Arzediando; Arcediano (n.)

1. a senior priest connected to a cathedral, who may act as the bishop's commissary

Ayllareque (n.)

1. Province located in a butalmapu or principality in the Mapuche territory

bosom of the Church / gremio de la Yglecia (n.)

1. from the Latin 'gremio ecclesiae', or 'lap/bosom of the Church', an extension of the ancient depiction of the Church as a mother

Butalmapus (npl.)

1. The four principalities of the Mapuche territory, from the Mapudungun term fütalmapu or "great land"

Cabildo / Cavildo; Cabildo (n.)

1. a municipal council in colonial Spanish America

cacique (n.)

1. Native indigenous chief: this term was used by the Spanish for chiefs of all indigenous peoples of the Spanish empire; the correct technical name for a Mapuche chief is Lonko

capitanejo (n.)

1. A subordinate of a cacique

caudillo (n.)

1. a military or political leader

Colegio de Propaganda (n.)

1. a Franciscan missionary school in the city of Chillán. The goal of the Franciscan friars at this school was to educate and administer the Catholic faith to those who attended, which included children of prominent Pehuenche caciques

Congress / Congreso (n.)

1. a gathering or meeting; often used interchangeably with Parlamento

Cordillera (n.)

1. a mountain chain; in the Chilean context, the Andes Mountains, which form the eastern border of Chile

Don (n.)

1. Spanish honorific to address a man with respect; equivalent to Mr. or Sir in English, this term is placed before a first name or a full name

Ecclesiastical Ordinary / ordinario Ecleciastico (n.)

1. the highest-ranking clergyman in a diocese, typically the bishop

estate / hacienda (npl.)

1. Unlike a plantation, which raises a single crop for sale, a hacienda raises a wide range of produce so as to be largely self-sufficient

frontier / frontera (n.)

1. borderland

General Commissioner of Nations and Language / Comisario de Naciones y Lengua General (n.)

1. "a representative of the governor… before the Mapuche" who speaks the Mapuche language, understands their culture, and in whom the Mapuche have confidence (J.M. Zavala et al. (eds.), The Hispanic-Mapuche Parlamentos: Interethnic Geo-Politics and Concessionary Spaces in Colonial America, Ch. 5, p.78, footnote 10.)

gilmenes (npl.)

1. Indigenous chiefs

Governor / Gobernador; Governador (n.)

1. a high-ranking Mapuche leader; a Spanish term that may be used to refer to the Cacique of a Butalmapu, or to members of a Cacique's inner circle, or to the Mapuche leader of a Reduction

Guardian (n.)

1. the title for the head of an establishment of Franciscan friars; comparable to an abbot or prior

instituted / instituido (adj.)

1. (of a priest): appointed by the bishop to serve a particular church

maloca (npl.)

1. attack, ambush, assault, or raid carried out by an organized group

mozetones (npl.)

1. strong young men

nation / nacion (n.)

1. when capitalized, typically indicates a European or other independent nation; when not capitalized, typically indicates a polity not recognized by the Spaniards as a fully legitimate nation-state, e.g. the Mapuche

natives / naturales (npl.)

1. indigenous persons or groups

pampas (npl.)

1. extensive South American grasslands

parla (n.)

1. talk, discussion; shortened form of parlamento

Parlamento (n.)

1. A meeting (conference) between two negotiating parties to agree upon terms such as trade, religion, and peace.

2.

Pehuenches (npl.)

1. a subgroup of the Mapuche living in the northeast region of Araucanía, near the Andes cordillera

pesos (npl.)

1. unit of currency used in Spanish colonies

plaza (n.)

1. stronghold or military settlement

Plazas de la Barrera (npl.)

1. fortified settlements located in the frontier

poncho (n.)

1. A garment of a type originally worn in South America, made of thick piece of woolen cloth with a slit in the middle for the head

Ramada (n.)

1. roofed shelter with open sides, made of brush and branches

Real Audiencia (n.)

1. a royal court established to administer royal justice in major cities of the Spanish Empire

Real Hacienda (n.)

1. royal treasury organized to supervise the promotion, collection, and expenditure of the Spanish king's revenue from all sources

Real Orden (n.)

1. Need definition

reduction / reducción (npl.)

1. An indigenous resettlement town controlled by the Spanish military.

2.

Señor (n.)

1. Spanish courtesy term to respectfully address a man. Equivalent to Mr. or Sir in English, this term is placed before a last name

Sovereign / Soberano (n.)

1. the Spanish king, Carlos IV

Sovereign / Soberano (adj.)

1. exercising direct or delegated royal authority

2. royal authority or character

Sovereignty / Soberania (n.)

1. royal authority

warriors / respetados (npl.)

1. english def needed