castellano

See also: Castellano

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish castellano (“Castilian”), from Medieval Latin Castella (“Castile, Land of Fortresses”) + -ānus (“-an: forming adjectives”), from Latin castrum (“fort”) + -ella (“-elle: forming diminutives”). Doublet of Castilian, castellanus, castellan, and chatelain.

Noun

castellano (plural castellanos) (historical)

1. A traditional Spanish unit of mass, equivalent to about 4.8 g.
2. A former Spanish coin, notionally equivalent to a castellano of gold.

Coordinate terms

• (unit of mass): grano (¹⁄₉₆ castellano), tomin (¹⁄₈ castellano), escrupulo (¹⁄₄ castellano), adarme (³⁄₈ castellano), ochava (³⁄₄ castellano), onza (6 castellanos)
• (coin): tomin (¹⁄₈ castellano), adarme (³⁄₈ castellano)

Further reading

• “castellano”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Asturian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kasteˈʎano/ [kas̪.t̪eˈʎa.no]
• Rhymes: -ano
• Syllabification: cas‧te‧lla‧no

Adjective

castellano

1. neuter of castellanu

Italian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin castellānus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kas.telˈla.no/
• Homophone: Castellano
• Rhymes: -ano
• Hyphenation: ca‧stel‧là‧no

Adjective

castellano (feminine castellana, masculine plural castellani, feminine plural castellane)

1. (relational) castle
2. of, from or relating to the comune of Castelfiorentino, Florence, Tuscany, Italy
3. of, from or relating to the comune of Castelfranco Veneto, Treviso, Veneto, Italy

Noun

castellano m (plural castellani, feminine castellana)

1. castellan (“lord of a castle”)
2. native or inhabitant of the comune of Castelfiorentino, Florence, Tuscany, Italy (usually male)
3. native or inhabitant of the comune of Castelfranco Veneto, Treviso, Veneto, Italy

Further reading

• “castellano¹”, in Vocabolario Treccani on line (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2026
• “castellano²”, in Vocabolario Treccani on line (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2026

Anagrams

• toscanella

Old Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kasteˈʎano/
• Rhymes: -ano
• Hyphenation: cas‧te‧lla‧no, cas‧tel‧la‧no

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin Castellānus (“Castilian”), from Castella (“Castile”) +‎ -ānus (“-an”, forming adjectives).

Adjective

castellano

1. Castilian (of, from or relating to Castile)

Noun

castellano m (plural castellanos, feminine singular castellana, feminine plural castellanas)

1. Castilian (native or inhabitant of Castile)

Descendants

• Spanish: castellano
  • → Catalan: castellà
  • → English: castellano
  • → French: castillan
  • → Italian: castigliano
    • → Romanian: castilian
  • → Romanian: castelan
  • → Tagalog: Kastelyano

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin castellānus (“castellan”).

Noun

castellano m (plural castellanos)

1. castellan

Descendants

• Spanish: castellano

References

• Ralph Steele Boggs et al. (1946), “castellano”, in Tentative Dictionary of Medieval Spanish, volume I, Chapel Hill, page 103

Spanish

Usage of español (in blue) and castellano (in red) in reference to the Spanish language in Spanish-speaking countries. Note, usage varies by country.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /kasteˈʝano/ [kas.t̪eˈʝa.no]

• IPA^(key): /kasteˈʝano/ [kas.t̪eˈʝa.no] (Equatorial Guinea, most of Latin America and Spain)
• IPA^(key): /kasteˈʎano/ [kas.t̪eˈʎa.no] (rustic northern Spain, northern and central Andes Mountains (except central Ecuador), Bolivia, Paraguay, northeastern Argentina, Philippines)
• IPA^(key): /kasteˈʃano/ [kas.t̪eˈʃa.no] (Buenos Aires and environs)
• IPA^(key): /kasteˈʒano/ [kas.t̪eˈʒa.no] (central Ecuador, Santiago del Estero and environs, elsewhere in Pampas and southern Argentina, Uruguay)
• IPA^(key): /kasteˈano/ [kas.t̪eˈa.no] (northern Mexico, Yucatán, Central America (except Panama))

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ano
• Syllabification: cas‧te‧lla‧no

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Spanish castellano, from Latin Castellānus (“Castilian”), from Castella (“Castile”) + -ānus (“-an: forming adjectives”), q.v.

Adjective

castellano (feminine castellana, masculine plural castellanos, feminine plural castellanas)

1. Castilian (of, from or relating to the geographic region or former kingdom of Castile, now approximately divided into the autonomous communities of Castile and León, Castilla-La Mancha and the Community of Madrid)
2. (sometimes offensive) Spanish (of or related to Spain, particularly the Castilian or European forms of the Spanish language)

   Synonym: español

3. (Chile) Of a hue of marbleized black and white.

Noun

castellano m (plural castellanos, feminine castellana, feminine plural castellanas)

1. Castilian (native or inhabitant of the geographic region or former kingdom of Castile, now approximately divided into the autonomous communities of Castile and León, Castilla-La Mancha and the Community of Madrid) (usually male)
2. (Chile) A color of marbleized black and white, specifically associated with certain chickens.

Noun

castellano m (uncountable)

1. Castilian Spanish (the dialect of the kingdom or region of Castile)
2. (inexact) European Spanish, Spanish Spanish (the dialects of Spain generally, particularly as opposed to those in Latin America)
3. (sometimes offensive) Spanish (the Spanish language generally)

   Synonym: español

Usage notes

• Acceptance of the use of castellano in reference to all Spanish varies by area and may have offensive colonial connotations. It is particularly common in Argentinian and Peruvian Spanish and particularly uncommon in Mexican Spanish. In Spain, both castellano and español are widely accepted, but usage varies by region.
• Similarly, the usage of español may also be considered offensive in some parts of Spain, due to the implication that it is the only or the main Spanish language, with the other languages of Spain being relegated to second place.

Derived terms

• castellanamente
• castellanía
• castellanidad
• castellanismo
• castellanista
• castellanizar
• castellano antiguo
• castellano y leonés
• castellanohablante
• castellanoleonés
• castellanomanchego
• castellanoparlante

Related terms

• Castilla

Descendants

• → Catalan: castellà
• → English: castellano
• → French: castillan
• → Italian: castigliano
  • → Romanian: castilian
• → Romanian: castelan
• → Tagalog: Kastelyano

Noun

castellano m (plural castellanos) (historical)

1. castellano (a traditional unit of mass, equivalent to about 4.8 g)
2. castellano (a former Spanish coin, notionally equivalent to a castellano of gold)

Coordinate terms

• (unit of mass): grano (¹⁄₉₆ castellano), tomín (¹⁄₈ castellano), escrúpulo (¹⁄₄ castellano), adarme (³⁄₈ castellano), ochava (³⁄₄ castellano), onza (6 castellanos)
• (coin): tomín (¹⁄₈ castellano), adarme (³⁄₈ castellano)

Etymology 2

Inherited from Latin castellānus (“castellan”), from castellum (“castle, fortress”) + -ānus (“-an: forming adjectives”). Compare with castlán and castlá.

Noun

castellano m (plural castellanos, feminine castellana, feminine plural castellanas)

1. (chiefly historical) castellan (the lord or caretaker of a castle)

Related terms

• castillo

Further reading

• “castellano”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025
• “castellano”, in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas [Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Doubts] (in Spanish), 2nd edition, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española]; Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2023, →ISBN
• “castellano”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010
• “castellano”, in Diccionario panhispánico del español jurídico [Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Legal Spanish] (in Spanish), second edition, Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2023
• “castellano”, in Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española [Thesaurus of the Historical Dictionaries of the Spanish Language], Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], launched 2021
• “castellano”, in Diccionario del español de México [Dictionary of the Spanish of Mexico] (in Spanish), second edition, Mexican Academy of the Language [Spanish: Academia Mexicana de la Lengua], 2019
• Guido Gómez de Silva (2001), “castellano”, in Diccionario breve de mexicanismos [Brief Dictionary of Mexicanisms], first edition, Mexican Academy of the Language [Spanish: Academia Mexicana de la Lengua]
• Seco, Manuel; Andrés, Olimpia; Ramos, Gabino (2023), “castellano”, in Diccionario del español actual [Dictionary of Current Spanish] (in Spanish), third digital edition, Fundación BBVA