Capigorrón

English translation: Vagabond; wanderer, or leave as Capigorrón with an explanation (see notes)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Capigorrón
English translation:Vagabond; wanderer, or leave as Capigorrón with an explanation (see notes)
Entered by: Kathleen Misson

19:47 Nov 16, 2022
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
Spanish term or phrase: Capigorrón
Esos de gran ropaje los nobles, aquellos zánganos de capa y cintas, los Capigorrones, ese grupo con traje, los Camaristas y esos otros que están perdidos los Pupilos.

Francisco de Quevedo -No puedo, soy un Capigorrón y el orden de asientos es: noble, colegial, camarista, pupilo y capigorrón.

-Capigorrón, es decir pobre...

Por cierto, soy Quevedo, Francisco de Quevedo y muchos de estos capigorrones llegaremos a ser grandes eruditos de la historia.
Kathleen Misson
Spain
Local time: 13:24
Vagabond; wanderer.
Explanation:
https://www.bing.com/search?ptag=AN1874&q=sinonimos de capig...
Selected response from:

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:24
Grading comment
Thank you to everyone for your help. I decided to leave it in Spanish with an explanation. I selected this answer, although it is not quite correct, it may be in another context.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Vagabond; wanderer.
Andrew Bramhall
4 +1student-servant
philgoddard
4Scrounger
William Hepner
3Varlet
neilmac
3acolyte
patinba
Summary of reference entries provided
Appleton's Bilingual Dictionary 1940 edition
Domini Lucas
se ponían al servicio de estudiantes ricos, a modo de criados
O G V

Discussion entries: 18





  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Vagabond; wanderer.


Explanation:
https://www.bing.com/search?ptag=AN1874&q=sinonimos de capig...

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:24
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 70
Grading comment
Thank you to everyone for your help. I decided to leave it in Spanish with an explanation. I selected this answer, although it is not quite correct, it may be in another context.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you all very much for your help. I decided to leave it in Spanish with an explanation. Vagabond is close but doesn't quite fit because in English, vagabonds were homeless people, not university students.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  José Patrício: 2. adj. coloq. Dicho de un hombre: Ocioso y vagabundo - https://dle.rae.es/capigorrón
12 mins
  -> Gracias;

agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
1 hr
  -> Gracias;

neutral  O G V: not so exact for this context
3 hrs
  -> Yep, thanks. You and Phil are both right.

neutral  philgoddard: I don't see how this could follow on from "noble, colegial, camarista, pupilo".
3 hrs
  -> Yep, thanks, Phil; in this context you're quite right.
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Scrounger


Explanation:
This usage should be understood in the context of the time period, which I assume is that of Francisco Quevedo (16th-17th century) and context of the words "pupilo" "zángano" and the like, all of which indicate that this has more to do with apparent laziness and the kind of drifting poverty of a student-type than with vagabonds/wandering as such.

Definition (historical dictionary) of capigorrón: "Ocioso y vagabundo que andaba comúnmente de capa y gorra, dicho especialmente de los estudiantes petardistas."

(Es decir, un estafador o persona que petardea: https://dle.rae.es/petardista?m=form)

Acepción relevante de "zángano": "Persona holgazana que se sustenta de lo ajeno."

También la acepción actual de la palabra "gorrón": "Que tiene por hábito comer, vivir, regalarse o divertirse a costa ajena."

I chose the word "scrounger" because it has a touch of (what seems to me, at least) antiquated British idiom that might not have been out of place in this historical period, and it's very easily applied to the life and activities of, if you will, a penniless student.

Definition of "scrounger": "Someone who tries to get things, especially money or food, by asking for them instead of buying them or working for them."

Example sentence(s):
  • Ocioso y vagabundo que andaba comúnmente de capa y gorra, dicho especialmente de los estudiantes petardistas.
  • Persona holgazana que se sustenta de lo ajeno.

    https://www.rae.es/tdhle/capigorr%C3%B3n
    https://dle.rae.es/z%C3%A1ngano
William Hepner
United States
Local time: 07:24
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
student-servant


Explanation:
...University of Salamanca, perhaps as a capigorron or capigorrista, a student-servant to some rich boy of his own age.
http://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.9783/9781512801927-...

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Note added at 24 mins (2022-11-16 20:11:20 GMT)
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Los expertos sitúan el origen [of the word "gorrón"] hacia finales del siglo XVI en los ambientes estudiantiles de la Universidad de Salamanca, donde muchos de los alumnos que asistían no disponían de demasiado dinero para mantenerse, por lo que se las ingeniaban de cualquier manera para poder alimentarse sin pagar.

Una de las formas de poder subsistir era trabajando al servicio de otros estudiantes pertenecientes a familias ricas y que disponían de un importante poder adquisitivo. Éstos contrataban los servicios de sus compañeros pobres para que les hicieran recados y los tuvieran atendidos (una especie de criado o asistentes) pagándoles a cambio unas monedas e incluso dejando que los acompañaran a convites y banquetes, donde los estudiantes sin recursos comían y bebían gratuitamente.

Los estudiantes adinerados vestían portando un manteo (capa larga con cuello derecho y bastante estrecho) y un bonete (especie de gorra, comúnmente de cuatro picos). Por su parte, los estudiantes sin recursos y que trabajaban al servicio de estos llevaban una capa clásica (hecha de tela barata) y una gorra. A estos sujetos se les conocía habitualmente con los términos: ***capigorrista, capigorra o capigorrón*** (términos provenientes de unir las palabras capa y gorra).
http://blogs.20minutos.es/yaestaellistoquetodolosabe/tag/cap...

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Note added at 3 hrs (2022-11-16 23:22:55 GMT)
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This is more of an explanation than a translation. I'd would leave it in Spanish, and add a few words of explanation - something like "a student who financed their studies by acting as a servant to fellow students".

philgoddard
United States
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 64

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Bramhall: You mean a fag, a lackey?
32 mins
  -> The meaning is explained in my references. Fag (in the British sense!) is the right kind of idea.

agree  O G V: " I'd would leave it in Spanish, and add a few words of explanation" thats what i was trying in my reference, lol
3 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Varlet


Explanation:
This at least has an olde-worlde vibe to it, and comes close to the jocular meaning.

Varlet (plural varlets)

(obsolete) A servant or attendant.
(historical) Specifically, a youth acting as a knight's attendant at the beginning of his training for knighthood.
(archaic) A rogue or scoundrel.


    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/varlet
    https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-valet-and-varlet-with-table/
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:24
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 155
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16 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
acolyte


Explanation:
As I do not think leaving it in Spanish is at all helpful to the reader, a bit of justified lterary licence is preferrable.

Starting with the DRAE definition:
1. adj. Que tenía órdenes menores y se mantenía así sin pasar a las mayores. U. t. c. s. m.

To then try Wikipedia:
Las órdenes menores son grados de ministros eclesiales.1​ En la iglesia católica, la iglesia latina predominante distinguía previamente entre las órdenes mayores—presbiterado (incluyendo a sacerdotes y obispos), diaconado y subdiaconado—y cuatro órdenes menores—acolitado, exorcistado, lectorado y ostiariado (en orden descendente).

or in English:

Minor orders are ranks of church ministry.[1] In the Catholic Church, the predominating Latin Church formerly distinguished between the major orders —priest (including bishop), deacon and subdeacon—and four minor orders—acolyte, exorcist, lector, and porter (in descending order).

This clearly defines someone pretty much at the end of the food chain, which is what the author is intending to convey.


patinba
Argentina
Local time: 08:24
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 122

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  O G V: no se refiere a un clérigo sino a un ayudante o criado de estudiante//habría que ver la guía entera, pero parece referirse a estudiantes y acólito tampoco es lo que dice
1 day 5 hrs
  -> No lo veo con ninguna certeza. Fíjate en el comentario que agregué.
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Reference comments


3 hrs peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: Appleton's Bilingual Dictionary 1940 edition

Reference information:
I use this dictionary as double-check for older vocab. Was handed down to me by someone who studied Spanish in days of yore.

capigorrista, capigorrón/a n. (coll.) vagabond; sloven person; student who never takes a high degree.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2022-11-16 23:09:23 GMT)
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Diccionário de uso del español, María Moliner (whom I also turn to when searching wider than today´s bilingual dictionaries):
1) vagabundo, holgazán
2) Se aplicaba al eclesiástico que tenía ordenes menores y se mantenía así sin pasar a los mayores.

Based on these two refs, if referring to a student it seems to be more about not progressing than serving others.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2022-11-16 23:12:09 GMT)
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Sorry. I´ve just read OGV´s ref. I correct my last comment as it says that those that didn´t progress did serve others.

Domini Lucas
United Kingdom
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  Andrew Bramhall: See latest 3 entries in discussion box above;
1 day 19 hrs
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3 hrs peer agreement (net): +6
Reference: se ponían al servicio de estudiantes ricos, a modo de criados

Reference information:
https://raicesdeperaleda.com/diccionario/capigorron/p-1874

A finales del XVI, en la Universidad de Salamanca, había muchos estudiantes que no disponían de recursos suficientes para pagarse los estudios y el sustento, por lo que tenían que buscarse el modo de financiarse. Éstos a menudo se ponían al servicio de estudiantes ricos, a modo de criados. Su atuendo típico era una capa y una gorra, por lo que eran conocidos como capigorras o capigorristas o capigorronesbold


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Note added at 3 horas (2022-11-16 23:29:21 GMT)
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when there is not a proper term of that time and with this connotation i woudl adapt it keeping the term and explaining

something like this
- I can't, I'm a "capigorrón", a servant of a student, and the order of seating is: nobleman, schoolboy, waiter, pupil and "capigorrón".
- "Capigorrón", that means poor....
By the way, I am Quevedo, Francisco de Quevedo and many of these servants will become great erudits of history.

student-servant seems unatural to adapt im[non native]op and keeping the original term gives some archaic touch, that can work perfectly for a translation of a text that must be plenty of Spanish terms (food, clothes, moral...) of that time

O G V
Spain
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 24

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  philgoddard: Yes, this is what I said in my answer.
9 mins
agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
55 mins
agree  Domini Lucas: I agree re keeping the original term as per my discussion entry. I think I was writing when you posted. :-)
1 hr
agree  Yvonne Gallagher
3 hrs
agree  Andrew Bramhall
9 hrs
agree  Toni Castano: Ref.: "Eran estudiantes especialistas en colarse gratis en banquetes y celebraciones y en vivir del cuento, es decir, en "comer y vivir de gorra". https://verne.elpais.com/verne/2018/10/03/articulo/153855976...
4 days
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