colono
“colono” means “settler” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
settler
Also: colonist
📝 In Action
Los colonos construyeron un pequeño pueblo cerca del río.
B1The settlers built a small town near the river.
Muchos colonos europeos llegaron a América en el siglo XVII.
B2Many European colonists arrived in America in the 17th century.
En las películas de ciencia ficción, el colono suele vivir en Marte.
C1In science fiction movies, the settler usually lives on Mars.
tenant farmer
Also: sharecropper
📝 In Action
El colono entregaba la mitad de su cosecha al dueño de la finca.
C1The tenant farmer gave half of his harvest to the farm owner.
Históricamente, el sistema de colonos era muy común en el campo.
C1Historically, the tenant farmer system was very common in the countryside.
Las leyes protegían el derecho del colono a cultivar la tierra.
C2The laws protected the tenant farmer's right to cultivate the land.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: colono
Question 1 of 3
What is a 'colono' primarily doing?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'colonus', which originally meant a 'tiller of the soil' or 'farmer'. This comes from the verb 'colere', meaning 'to cultivate' or 'to inhabit'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'colono' the same as 'inmigrante'?
Not exactly. An 'inmigrante' moves to an established country. A 'colono' usually implies moving to a 'new' territory to start a settlement or farm it.
Does 'colono' only refer to historical figures?
No. While common in history, it's also used for people currently settling in remote areas (like the Amazon) or in futuristic contexts like Mars.
Can 'colono' be an adjective?
Sometimes it is used to describe something belonging to a colony, but 'colonial' is the much more common adjective form.