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A note from the author:
While gathering information for a fully translated article, I became
aware more than ever of the many adjectives describing hues and intensities of various
colors. In the case of occupations as well, and particularly in Spanish words, descriptive
words seem to have not only different meanings in different localities, but many
shades of meaning as well. Rather than insert my own "best guess," I have
chosen, therefore, to leave most of the descriptions in Spanish, with this glossary
to provide the reader with the choices. A few of the more archaic words were not
found in any of our dictionaries nor could they be answered by any of my advisors.
Readers are encouraged to contribute information on any of these interpretations.
Such feedback will be shared in future issues of the New Mexico Genealogist
and/or on this web site. Please send comments and information to my attention at:
New Mexico Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 27559, Albuquerque, NM 87125-7559, or
by email to Webmaster@nmgs.org, Attention: Evelyn Lujan Baca.
Abulorado, abultadora, avultado, abultada:
1) increased, 2) bulky, massive
Afilada: When describing a nose: Sharp, aquiline
Alta: High
Ancha: Wide
Aplastada: Flat
Arrenmangada, Remangado: When describing a nose: uplifted, tucked
up
Asafranado, azafranado: Saffron colored
Aquilino: Nose or face: aquiline, hooked; applied commonly to the
nose
Arriero: Muleteer
Azeytunados, Azeitunados: Olive colored
Azul, azules: Blue
Barba: Beard
Barba serrada: Thick beard
Bermejo, vermejo: Of a bright reddish color
Berdes, verdes: Green
Blanco: White
Blanco Lucero: Very white, translucent. (Albino?)
Boso, voso: Not in the dictionaries, but advisers (Vega and de Niño)
define this as the thick part of the cheek or the area above the lip
Cafe: brown colored
Calbo: Bald
Algo Calbo: Somewhat bald
Campista, del campo, campesino: "leads a country life."
Possibly a farmer or farm laborer
Carrillo: Cheek; fleshy part of the face
Castaño, Castaña: Chestnut colored; also hazel or amber
colored
Castaño cerrado: Chestnut color, thick
Castañas claras: Light hazel or amber
Castaña clara: Light chestnut
Cavo: Chief, head; or commander
Cerrada(o), zerrada(o), serrada(o): Closed
Barba serrada: Thick beard
Chata: Flat-nosed
Claro: Light colored
Trigueño Claro: Light brunette
Castañas Claras: Light chestnut
Comerciante: Trader; merchant
Corta: short
Crespo: Crisp, curly, crispy, wiry
Criador: Animal breeder; caretaker
Del Campo, campesino, campisto: One who leads a "country life."
Possibly a farmer or farm laborer
Garzo(s): Blue eyed
Gatuño: Eyes: "Cat-like"
Guero: Blonde
Herrero: Blacksmith
Horrero: One who has the care of a granary; store-keeper
Labrador:Farmer
Lampiño: Beardless, or having little hair
Linea: Seen in measures of height, as in "5 pies 1 pulgada 5
lineas." The Velazquez dictionary defines linea as a twelfth
part of an inch, so the above example would be read as five feet, one and five-twelfths
inches
Lucero: Transparent, translucent.
Blanco Lucero: Very white. Albino?
Obrag(j)ero, Obragon: Foreman, overseer, superintendent.
Obscuron: Dark
Pardo: This is a case where three of us had different translations.
Both Richard Gonzales and Jonathan Ortega translated it as brown; in northern New
Mexico where I grew up, pardo was gray. The Velazquez
dictionary defines it as: Gray, drab, brown; a mixture of black and white containing
some yellow or red. [But if the word is gray, most of the soldiers had gray eyes!]
Pecas: Freckles
Poblado(a): "Of the place inhabited"; filled in thickly
Poblado Negro: Thick black (beard or brows)
Poblado Rojo: Thick red
Poca: Small, sparse, scanty
Prica: Possibly from "prisca," a kind of peach. Referring
to "peach fuzz"?
Remangada, arremangada: uplifted, tucked up
Revueltos anbinados (embinados): Possibly the color that describes
anvir, a reddish liquor expressed from the fermented leaves of tobacco.
Roja, rojo: Red
Rosado/a: Rose, crimson, flushed, rosy
Trigueño Rosado: Rosy brunette
Blanco Rosado: Light brunette
Rubio: Golden, fair, ruddy
Sarco, zarco: wall-eyed, of a light blue color
Serrada(o), Cerrada(o), zerrada(o): Thick
Alta Serrada: Very thick
Tambor: Drum, drummer
Texedor: Weaver
Trigueño: Brunette; Olive skinned; Swarthy
Trigueño Claro: Light brunette
Trigueño Rosado: Rosy brunette
Blanco Trigueño: Light brunette
Verdes, berdes: Green
Vermejo, bermejo: A bright reddish color
Voso, boso: Not in the dictionaries, but advisers (Vega and de Niño)
define this as the thick part of the cheek or the area above the lip
Zarco, sarco: wall-eyed; of a light blue color
Zerrada(o), Cerrada(o), Serrada(o): Closed
Barba zerrada: Thick beard
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