Pícaro
/pɪˈkɑːroʊ/noun
A roguish lower-class adventurer, especially the protagonist of a picaresque novel.
Did you know?The pícaro became the central figure of the picaresque novel, a genre that exposed corruption by letting society’s outsider narrate its secrets.
Etymological Timeline
Possible Proto-Indo-European origin
PIE
*peik- / *pik-
“A proposed root associated with sharpness, piercing, or marking; the deeper origin of Spanish picar remains uncertain.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
picāre
“A proposed related form meaning “to prick” or “sting,” though its direct connection to pícaro is not certain.”
Old Spanish
Spanish
picar
“To prick, bite, sting, or figuratively provoke; commonly considered a possible source of pícaro.”
16th Century
Spanish
pícaro
“A rogue, rascal, or low-status servant surviving through cleverness and deception.”
17th Century
Spanish
novela picaresca
“A rogue-centered narrative portraying episodic adventures and social corruption.”
19th Century
English
picaro
“An adopted literary term for the roguish protagonist of a picaresque story.”