Alguacil (in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
), aguazil or guazil (in
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
) is the title for a number of governmental office-holders.
Origin
The term ''alguacil'' is derived from the Arabic term (''wazir''), meaning
Vizier
A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
.
The first known use of the term dates back to 1579.
Historical use
Constable
In
Nahuatl
Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...
, the term ''alguacil'' is a Spanish loanword that means
constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
or a sub-
Cabildo officer.
Judge
There were two types of judges named ''Alguacils'': The ''Alguaciles Mayores'' (Chief Justice) and ''Alguaciles Menores'' (Justice).
The Alguacils of higher importance were the Alguaciles Mayores. These positions were held by the most prominent families, so they approximated the office of ''
Regidores''. (At first they were also in charge of the local prison (jail), but this function was passed very soon to the responsibility of the ''
Alcaide
Alcaide is a Spanish name, meaning 'castle commander'. It is borrowed from the Arabic term , which literally means 'commander'.
Etymology
The Spanish form is alcayde whereas Portuguese form is alcaide.
Notable people
* Anselmo Pardo Alcaide ...
'' or warden.) Their function was to arrest people provided by the ''
Inquisitor
An inquisitor was an official (usually with judicial or investigative functions) in an inquisition – an organization or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things contrary to the doctrine or teachings of the Catholic faith. Literall ...
'' or investigators and the seizure of their property. To do this one had to be accompanied by the recipient, their family members and the ''Secretary (minister) of Arrests'' (sheriff). He could seek the support of civil authorities. It also ensured the safety of the detainees (defendants), because they had no communications with others except, of course, those authorized by the investigators. Among the junior officers, the Alguacil Mayor held the largest category with the ''Secret Notaries''. The others functions of an Alguacil Mayor were:
* Execute the statements
* Imprison the criminals
* Resolve public order issues
* Appoint wardens of prisons
* Intervene in cases of relevant people
The title has also been given to inspectors of weights and measures in marketplaces, and similar officials.
Sheriff
In history, an Alguacil is a sheriff of a Spanish municipality who acted as the executive officer of the courses, and is considered to be the equivalent of a modern
bailiff.
An Alguacil will execute the decisions of an
alcalde
Alcalde (; ) is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An ''alcalde'' was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian '' cabildo'' (the municipal council) a ...
, or a local judge, and will receive a portion of the judgments he executes.
An alguacil, as the principal police officer of a municipality, was allowed to carry arms during town patrols. The same privilege was extended to the alguacil's assistants, known in Spanish as ''tenientes''. An alguacil was not allowed to hold another office, or to have a business.
Modern use
In
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
n countries or regions under Spanish influence, ''alguacil'' is currently the name for the office of sheriff or constable.
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Alguacil is used as the equivalent Spanish term for sheriff. However, the term "sheriff" has also been used, untranslated, in Spanish publications in the United States.
The term ''alguacil aéreo'' has been used as the equivalent Spanish term for
Air Marshal, and the name ''Cuerpo de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos'' has been used as the Spanish name for the
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforc ...
.
Surname
The title is also used as a surname. The following people with the surname "Alguacil" include
*
Imanol Alguacil
Imanol Alguacil Barrenetxea (born 4 July 1971), known simply as Imanol as a player, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right-back, currently manager of Real Sociedad.
He appeared in 121 matches in La Liga over nine seasons (eight go ...
(born 1971), Spanish retired footballer
*
Alberto Losada Alguacil (born 1982), Spanish retired road bicycle racer
See also
*
Juan de la Cosa
Juan de la Cosa (c. 1450 – 28 February 1510) was a Castilian navigator and cartographer, known for designing the earliest European world map which incorporated the territories of the Americas discovered in the 15th century.
De la Cosa was th ...
*
Timoji
Timoji (also referred to as Timoja or Timmayya) was a privateer who served the Vijayanagara Empire and the Portuguese Empire during the first decade of the 16th century. He claimed to have been born in Goa and to have escaped the city after its c ...
References
{{reflist
Region-specific legal occupations
Spanish words and phrases
es:Alguacil
fr:Alguazil (corrida)