The capital city of Spain, almost at the geographical centre of the Peninsula.
Malaga. (Mah´-lah-gah.)
A fine old seaport on the southern coast of Spain. Malaga grapes go the world over.
Mambrú. (Mahm-broo´.)
A folk-song name for a soldier.
Manta. (Mahn´-tah.)
A horse-cloth.
Manuel. (Mah-noo-āl´.)
Emanuel, Emmanuel. This sacred name, meaning God With Us, is often given to Spanish boys.
Maria. (Mah-ree´-ah.)
Mary. This beautiful name, variously interpreted as meaning Bitter, Rebellion, Star of the Sea, is a favorite for girls in all Christian lands, and in Spain, which believes itself under the special protection of the Madonna, is often given to boys as well, being in such cases one among the several names that a Spanish child usually carries. See page 89.
Mariana. (Mah-ree-ah´-nah.)
Marian, Marion. Another form of Mary.
Marta. (Mah´-tah.)
Martha. A girl’s name meaning The Ruler of the House; also, Melancholy.
Melampo. (May-lam´-po.)
Mercedes. (Mer-thā´-des.)
Mercy. Not unusual among the names of Spanish girls.
Milagros. (Mee-lah´-grōs.)
Miracles. The full name would be Maria de los Milagros.
Moreto y Hernandez. (Mo-ray´-to ee Er-nahn´-deth.)
It is customary in Spain for one to keep, as here, the surnames of both father and mother, united by y meaning and. See page 89.
Murillo. (Moo-ree´-lyo.)
A famous Spanish painter of the seventeenth century. See page 168.
An open court. See pages 90 and 102.
Pedrillo. (Pay-dree´-lyo.)
Little Peter. From Pedro (Pay´-drō), Peter, meaning A Rock.
Peligros. (Pay-lee´-gros.)
Perils. The full name would be Maria de los Peligros.
Pepito. (Pay-pee´-to.)
Little Joe. A pet-name from José.
Peregrina. (Pay-ray-gree´-nah.)
Pilgrim. In this story, the name of a mule.
Peseta. (Pay-say´-tah.)
A silver Spanish coin, looking much like our quarter dollar, but worth only about twenty cents.
Pilar. (Pe-lar´.)
Pillar. Many Spanish girls are called Pilar, the full name being Maria del Pilar, after the Madonna of Saragossa. See pages 221-222.
Pilarica. (Pe-lah-ree´-kah.)
Little Pilar.
Pinta. (Pin´-ta.)
In the circle-dances, the name of a bird.
Puchero. (Poo-chay´-rō.)
A stew made up of beef or lamb, ham or bacon, chickpeas and other vegetables,—a standing dish in all Spanish countries. See page 173.
Don Quixote is the hero of a celebrated Spanish romance by Cervantes (Ther-vän´-tes). See page 76. Our word quixotic is derived from Don Quixote.
Raphael. A name, meaning The Healing of God, often given to boys in Italy and Spain. Raphael the Archangel, deemed the guardian of all humanity and especially of the young and of travellers, is a saint of the church calendar.
Rita. (Ree´-tah.)
Rodrigo. (Ro-dree´-go.)
Roderick. A boy’s name meaning Rich in Fame,—a name famous in the early history of Spain.
Rocinante. (Rō´-the-nahn´-tay.)
A name, meaning a wornout old cab-horse, that Don Quixote gave to his gaunt steed.
Rosita. (Rō-see´-tah.)
Little Rose. A pet-name from Rosa (Rō-sah.)
Roxa. (Rō-xah.)
Roxana, meaning Dawn of Day. In this story, the name of a cat.
Saint. The feminine form is Santa (Sahn´-tah.)
Sancho Panza. (Sahn´-ko Pahn´-thah.)
The name, suggesting a round body set on spindle-shanks, is that of Don Quixote’s esquire. Don Quixote, the very soul of romance, arming himself in what seemed to everybody else a ridiculous fashion, rode forth on his lean nag to redress the wrongs of the world, and after him jogged Sancho Panza, on his donkey Dapple, a goblin of commonsense.
Santiago. (Sahn-te-ah´-gō.)
St. James; also the city called by his name. The full name of this Galician city is Santiago de Compostela.
Señor. (Say-nyōr´.)
Sir. Used as Mr. before the surname, not, like Don, before the Christian name. In this story, the children’s father would be addressed by friends as Don Carlos; by strangers as Señor Moreto.
Señora. (Say-nyor´-ah.)
Madame. Used as Mrs. before the surname, not, like Doña, before the Christian name.
Señorito. (Say-nyōr-ee´-to.)
Young sir.
Serení. (Say-ray-nee´.)
Sierra Nevada. (Se-er´-rah Nay-vah´-dah.)
Nevada is an adjective from nieve (ne-ay´-vay), snow; the first meaning of sierra is saw; so that Snowy Saw is the literal name given to the white, keenly cleft mountain-range of southern Spain.
Siesta. (Se-es´-tah.)
The nap after the midday meal, in the heat of early afternoon.
Sombrero. (Som-bray´-ro.) Hat.
Sultan. (Sool-tahn´.)
In Moorish and Turkish lands, Sultan is the title given to the emperor.
Sultana. (Sool-tah´-nah.) Empress.
Theresa. This name, which means Carrying Ears of Corn, is often given to Spanish girls, because of the sixteenth-century mystic and reformer, Santa Teresa, who was born in Castile.
Tia. (Tee´-ah.) Aunt.
Titirinela. (Te-te-re-nay´-lah.)
A group of singing syllables much like Hey diddle diddle.
Toledo. (To-lay´-dō.)
The oldest and most wonderful city of Castile. See page 186.
Tenorio. (Tay-nō´-re-oh.)
In this story, the name of a tall, thin muleteer.
Ventera. (Ven-tay´-rah.) The woman who keeps an inn. The venta (ven´-tah) in Spain is a poor tavern by the wayside, not so good as the posada (po-sah´-dah) and far inferior to the hotel.
Vigo. (Vee´-go.) A seaport of Galicia.
Virgen. (Veer´-hen.)
Virgin. The Madonna of Saragossa is known as Virgin del Pilar.
Xarifa is a Moorish name for a woman. It is used with fine musical effect in Lockhart’s ballad The Bridal of Andalla. There is nothing better than Lockhart’s Spanish Ballads to fill one’s mind with the romance of Spain.
Zinga. (Zin´-gah.) A general name for gypsies in Spain is Zingari (Zin´-gah-e). In this story, Zinga is the name of a gypsy-girl.