Machismo
Machismo (/məˈtʃiːzmoʊ, mɑː-, -ˈtʃɪ-/; Spanish: (from Spanish "
macho", male); Portuguese: ) is the sense of being
macho or manly, the concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride... the supreme valuation of characteristics culturally associated with the masculine and a denigration of characteristics associated with the feminine." It is associated with "a man’s responsibility to provide for, protect, and defend his family." The word
macho has a long history in both Spain and Portugal as well as in Spanish and Portuguese languages. It was originally associated with the ideal societal role men where expected to play in their communities, most particularly, Iberian language-speaking societies and countries.
Macho in Portuguese and Spanish is a strictly masculine term, derived from the Latin
mascŭlus meaning male (today
hombre or
varón, c.f. Portuguese
homem and now-obsolete for humans
varão;
macho and
varão, in their most common sense, are used for males of non-human animal species).