Marimacho, marimacha, and in some countries, machona, machorra, or machota are pejorative words to describe AFAB people with generally masculine behaviours or physical characteristics in Hispanic nations. Specifically towards women who participate in games that require strength and wear typically masculine clothing. It is also used to imply that said women may be sapphic.
It is generally translated as tomboy or butch,[1][2] but with more negative connotations.
Similar terms in Spanish include: Ahombrada, Amachada, Compadre, Fuerte, Hombre, Hombruna, Macha, Machenca, Machetona, Machín, Machín-rin-rin, Machina, Macho, (Peru), Machúa, Machungo, Machina, Marimar (by a series of Mexican TV), Manflora (Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela), Mariamacho, Mariomacho, Masculina, Santo varón and Varón.
History
The word marimacho originates in 17th century Spain. It was an expression used by the common people that was collected in a dictionary later, so we cannot rule out a much earlier origin. It was used to speak of spirited and brazen women, meaning women are strong, spirited, courageous, resolved, panache, gallant, gentile, with the thrust to drive or perform an action. All this according to the RAE and according to the meanings of the dictionaries of the time. No talk of women who look like men by their appearance, but by their abilities and activities, which at that time were exclusive to men. Nor does any reference to sexual orientation, and this may be because, as we have seen on other occasions, it was not conceived that women had no reproductive life sexuality.
It will be much later when the term Marimacho, in addition to name masculine women or who behave like men, start to be used as a predictor of sexual orientation, with the simplistic argument of “if she makes man things, perhaps she is lesbian.”[3]
Reclaiming
Marimacho is still generally pejorative, but there are women who reclaim its usage and take away its power, specially around feminist, gender non-conforming and sapphic circles.[4]