alforja

English

Etymology

From Spanish alforja, from Andalusian Arabic الخُرْج, from Arabic خُرْج (ḵurj, “saddlebag”).

Pronunciation

• (US) enPR: ăl-fŏr'-jə, IPA^(key): /ælˈfɔɹ.d͡ʒə/

Noun

alforja (plural alforjas)

1. A saddlebag.
   • 2004, Steven Paul Palmer, Steven Palmer, Iván Molina, Iván Molina Jiménez, The Costa Rica Reader: History, Culture, Politics, Duke University Press, →ISBN, page 254:

     This proximity to vast, unattainable wealth, tempting and frustrating at the same time, is also evident in the story of the lost alforja, one of the most commonly related anecdotes about Cubillo.

2. A cheek pouch.

Catalan

Etymology

From Andalusian Arabic, compare Spanish alforja.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əlˈfɔr.ʒə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [alˈfɔɾ.d͡ʒa]

Noun

alforja f (plural alforges)

1. saddlebag, pannier

Further reading

• “alforja”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], 2007 April
• “alforja”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025.
• “alforja” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “alforja” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈfɔʁ.ʒɐ/ [aʊ̯ˈfɔɦ.ʒɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈfɔʁ.ʒɐ/ [aʊ̯ˈfɔɦ.ʒɐ]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /awˈfɔɾ.ʒɐ/ [aʊ̯ˈfɔɾ.ʒɐ]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /awˈfɔʁ.ʒɐ/ [aʊ̯ˈfɔʁ.ʒɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈfɔɻ.ʒa/ [aʊ̯ˈfɔɻ.ʒa]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /alˈfɔɾ.ʒɐ/ [aɫˈfɔɾ.ʒɐ]

• Hyphenation: al‧for‧ja

Noun

alforja f (plural alforjas)

1. Alternative form of alforje

Spanish

Etymology

From Andalusian Arabic الخُرْج (al-ḵurj), from Arabic خُرْج (ḵurj, “saddlebag”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈfoɾxa/ [alˈfoɾ.xa]
• Rhymes: -oɾxa
• Syllabification: al‧for‧ja

Noun

alforja f (plural alforjas)

1. saddlebag, knapsack
   • 1605, Miguel de Cervantes, “Capítulo XVIII”, in El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha, Primera parte:

     Acudió Sancho a su asno para sacar de las alforjas con qué limpiarse y con qué curar a su amo, y como no las halló estuvo a punto de perder el juicio: maldíjose de nuevo y propuso en su corazón de dejar a su amo y volverse a su tierra, aunque perdiese el salario de lo servido y las esperanzas del gobierno de la prometida ínsula.

     Sancho ran to his ass to get something wherewith to clean himself out of his saddlebags, and relieve his master; but not finding them, he well-nigh took leave of his senses, and cursed himself anew, and in his heart resolved to quit his master and return home, even though he forfeited the wages of his service and all hopes of the promised island.

2. pannier (basket or bag fastened to the back of a bicycle or pack animal)

Derived terms

• alforjero

Descendants

• → English: alforja
• → Tagalog: alporhas

Further reading

• “alforja”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10