A male witch or sorcerer; a man believed to have magical or supernatural powers in Spanish and Latin American cultures.
From Latin 'brujo,' possibly from Basque or pre-Roman Iberian languages. The masculine form parallel to 'bruja' (feminine). The term gained prominence during Spanish medieval and colonial periods.
Unlike English where 'witch' can refer to any gender, Spanish separates 'brujo' (male) and 'bruja' (female)—and historically, most witch-hunt victims were women, making 'bruja' far more common and sinister in cultural memory.
Spanish masculine form of witch; less historically loaded than 'bruja' due to gender-selective witch-hunt targeting women, yet linguistic marking maintains gendered category.
Use 'brujo o bruja' or 'practitioner of brujería' to center practice over gender. Modern usage should not assume masculine practitioner = male.
["practitioner of witchcraft","sorcerer/sorceress","curandero/curandera","brujo o bruja"]
Men practicing brujería were less frequently persecuted; acknowledging this asymmetry honors the disproportionate harm faced by women while recognizing all practitioners' knowledge.
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