capataz

English

Alternative forms

• capatas

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish capataz.

Noun

capataz (plural capataces)

1. boss, foreman, overseer
   • 1903, Joseph Conrad, F. M. Hueffer, Romance‎^[1]:

     “My gentle spirit is roused to the accomplishment of great things. I feel in me a valiance, an inspiration. I am no vulgar seller of aguardiente, like Domingo. I was born to be the capataz of the Lugarenos.”

   • 1922, Joseph Hergesheimer, Cytherea‎^[2]:

     The capataz of the batey gang, a tall flushed Jamaican negro, passed on a cantering white pony.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish capataz.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.paˈta(j)s/ [ka.paˈta(ɪ̯)s]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.paˈta(j)s/ [ka.paˈta(ɪ̯)s]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ka.paˈta(j)ʃ/ [ka.paˈta(ɪ̯)ʃ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.pɐˈtaʃ/

• Hyphenation: ca‧pa‧taz

Noun

capataz m (plural capatazes)

1. (management) foreman

   Synonyms: gerente, administrador, chefe, controlador, feitor, organizador, superintendente, supervisor

Descendants

• Kadiwéu: gabateegi

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin caput (“head”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /kapaˈtaθ/ [ka.paˈt̪aθ]
• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /kapaˈtas/ [ka.paˈt̪as]
• Rhymes: -aθ
• Rhymes: -as
• Syllabification: ca‧pa‧taz

Noun

capataz m (plural capataces, feminine capataz or capataza, feminine plural capataces or capatazas)

1. (management) foreman
2. overseer
   • 1917, Horacio Quiroga, “Los Mensú”, in Cuentos de Amor de Locura y de Muerte‎^[3]:

     Los perseguidores lo presumían; pero como dentro del monte, el que ataca tiene cien probabilidades contra una de ser detenido por una bala en mitad de la frente, el capataz se contentaba con salvas de winchester y aullidos desafiantes.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Descendants

• → English: capataz
• → Portuguese: capataz

Further reading

• “capataz”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10