faena
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish faena. Doublet of hacienda and fazenda.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fɑˈeɪ.nə/
Noun
faena (plural faenas)
- (bullfighting) A series of passes performed by a matador with a muleta or a sword before the kill.
- 2013, James A. Michener, Iberia, Dial Press, →ISBN, page 736:
- Faena is the vital third act in which the matador exhibits his skill with the muleta. Tradition requires that during the faena he keep his sword in his right hand, which usually also holds the muleta. Experts judge that the excellence of any single fight depends about sixty to seventy percent on the faena, which can excuse poor work elsewhere.
Translations
Catalan
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Old Catalan faena, from Latin facienda. Compare Spanish faena and Portuguese faina.
Pronunciation
Noun
faena f (plural faenes)
Further reading
- “faena”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
- “faena”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
- “faena” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “faena” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
French
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fa.e.na/
Noun
faena f (plural faenas)
Latin
Noun
faena
- nominative/accusative/vocative plural of faenum
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /faˈena/ [faˈe.na]
- Rhymes: -ena
- Syllabification: fa‧e‧na
Etymology 1
From Old Catalan faena (“task, chore”) (modern Catalan feina), from Latin facienda (“things to do”), from faciō. Compare Portuguese faina. Doublet of hacienda.
Noun
faena f (plural faenas)
- task, job; duty
- compulsory labour or work
- Synonym: quehacer
- struggle
- dirty trick
- pity; shame
- (bullfighting) faena (series of passes performed by a matador with cape or sword before the kill)
Derived terms
See also
Etymology 2
Verb
faena
- inflection of faenar:
- third-person singular present indicative
- second-person singular imperative
Further reading
- “faena”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024