caudilla okay as feminine form of "caudillo"?

Question

Is "caudilla" acceptable feminine form of "caudillo"?

Answer 1

Typically the concept of "caudillo" is that of a charismatic (or violent) male leader. It is extremely unusual to see references to females in that role. (They may be "matrona", "guerrillera"; "guerrera", even "lideresa", but not "caudilla").

However, when necessary, the expression I have seen is "mujer caudillo".

Answer 2

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Hmmm...this is a good question. I looked it up and it mentions "hombre" twice in the definition and doesn't list the word as "caudillo(a)" as it would be presented if we could use the feminine version.

Caudillo.

(Del lat. *capitellus).

1. m. Hombre que, como cabeza, guía y manda la gente de guerra.

2. m. Hombre que dirige algún gremio, comunidad o cuerpo.

Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados