"El alcalde"

Translation: The mayor

[JoePeople]

Got curious, so I looked up the etymology of this word. It comes from the Arabic "al-qadi" meaning "the judge".

"Alcalde (/ælˈkældi/; Spanish: [alˈkalde]), or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both <i>JUDICIAL</i> and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo (the municipal council) and judge of first instance of a town. Alcaldes were elected annually, without the right to reelection for two or three years, by the regidores (council members) of the municipal council." -Wikipedia

[SusannaEDavis420]

¡Muy interesante, gracias!

[Samgabriel]

Good information. Thanks, JoePeople!

[Talca]

Is a female mayor: la alcade or el alcada?

[Samsta]

El alcalde (masculine)
La alcaldesa OR La alcalde (feminine)

[Talca]

Gracias, Sam. Wouldn't it be useful if Duolingo included this stuff with their dropdown hints?

[EuroSpanish]

Remember that "alcalde" is used widely across the Spanish-speaking word but it is far from being the only word that is used. For examle, in Argentina an alcalde would be an "Intendente".

[Chistesen]

Then there's the 'presidente municipal.'

[Moe_Alami]

yupe it came from the arabic word القاضي "the judge"