Alférez

In medieval Iberia, an alférez (Spanish: [alˈfeɾeθ], Galician: [alˈfeɾeθ]) or alferes (Portuguese: [ɐɫˈfeɾɨʃ], Catalan: [əɫˈfeɾəs]) was a high-ranking official in the household of a king or magnate. The term is derived from the Arabic الفارس (al-fāris), meaning "horseman" or "cavalier", and it was commonly Latinised as alferiz or alferis, although it was also translated into Latin as armiger or armentarius, meaning "armour-bearer". The connexion with arms-bearing is visible in several Latin synonyms: fertorarius, inferartis, and offertor. The office was sometimes the same as that of the standard-bearer or signifer. The alférez was generally the next highest-ranking official after the majordomo. He was generally in charge of the king or magnate's mesnada (private army), his personal retinue of knights, and perhaps also of his armoury and his guard. He generally followed his lord on campaign and into battle.

The office of alférez originated in the tenth century. In the Kingdom of Navarre in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the office of alférez changed hands with higher frequency than others, and there is also evidence of rotation. It is the only courtly office for which two officers are cited at the same time: Fortún Jiménez and Ortí Ortiz were both inferartes in a charter of 1043. In the kingdoms of Castile and León in the eleventh and twelfth centuries the office was generally bestowed on young noble members of the court, often as a prelude to promotion to the rank of count. It is known that Alfonso VIII of Castile rewarded his alférez Álvaro Núñez de Lara with the grant of a village for carrying his standard in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa.

Alférez (rank)

Alférez is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Spain, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The Portuguese variant alferes is used in Portugal, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor and was also formerly used in Brazil. The naval rank of alférez de fragata is used in Spain, Dominican Republic and Peru.

Alférez and alferes are often translated as ensign, but are also sometimes translated as sub-lieutenant or second lieutenant. These translations are approximate. As a military rank, it corresponds usually to NATO rank code is OF-1.

The Spanish word alférez and the Portuguese word alferes were both derived from the Arabic الفارس (al-fāris), meaning "horseman", "knight" or "cavalier".

The rank of alférez / alferes was first used by Iberian armies during the reconquista in the middle ages, being associated to the officer responsible for the carrying of a unit flag. During that time alférez was the leader of the retinue of a king or high-ranking nobleman. The famous warrior El Cid was the alférez of King Alfonso VI of Castile and Alfonso Núñez was the alférez of Duke Raymond of Galicia.