camelar

Caló

Etymology

Inherited from Romani kamel (“to love”), of uncertain etymology.

Verb

camelar

1. to court
2. to enamor
3. to desire
4. to love

Derived terms

• encamelar

 

Descendants

• → Spanish: camelar

References

• “camelar” in J. Tineo Rebolledo, A Chipicalli (La Llengua Gitana), Granada: Gómez de la Cruz, 1900, →OCLC, page 27.
• “camelar” in Francisco Quindalé, Diccionario gitano, Madrid: Oficina Tipográfica del Hospicio.
• “camelar” in Vocabulario : Caló - Español, Portal del Flamenco y Universidad.

Spanish

Etymology

From Caló camelar, from Romani kamel (“to love”), of uncertain etymology.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kameˈlaɾ/ [ka.meˈlaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: ca‧me‧lar

Verb

camelar (first-person singular present camelo, first-person singular preterite camelé, past participle camelado)

1. (Spain, transitive) to cajole, to sweet-talk, to win over
   • 1994, José Ángel Mañas, chapter VII, in Historias del Kronen, Barcelona: Ediciones Destino, →ISBN, page 101:

     —Hay que ser un poco monaguillo, Carlitos. Me he camelado a mi primo para que se ponga en mi lugar hoy.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (colloquial, transitive) to seduce

   Synonym: seducir

   • (Can we date this quote?), Benito Pérez Galdós, La Revolución de Julio:

     Para mí, Gracián cameló a la Rosenda, que antes fue querida de un tal Castillejo

     The way I see it, Gracián seduced Rosenda, who before that was the lover of certain Castillejo.

3. (colloquial, transitive) to love

   Synonyms: amar, querer

Conjugation

    Conjugation of camelar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			camelar
gerund			camelando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		camelado		camelada
		plural		camelados		cameladas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	camelo	camelastú camelásvos	camela	camelamos	cameláis	camelan
	imperfect	camelaba	camelabas	camelaba	camelábamos	camelabais	camelaban
	preterite	camelé	camelaste	cameló	camelamos	camelasteis	camelaron
	future	camelaré	camelarás	camelará	camelaremos	camelaréis	camelarán
	conditional	camelaría	camelarías	camelaría	camelaríamos	camelaríais	camelarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	camele	camelestú camelésvos2	camele	camelemos	cameléis	camelen
	imperfect (ra)	camelara	camelaras	camelara	cameláramos	camelarais	camelaran
	imperfect (se)	camelase	camelases	camelase	camelásemos	camelaseis	camelasen
	future1	camelare	camelares	camelare	cameláremos	camelareis	camelaren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		camelatú camelávos	camele	camelemos	camelad	camelen
	negative		no cameles	no camele	no camelemos	no cameléis	no camelen

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of camelar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive camelar
	dative	camelarme	camelarte	camelarle, camelarse	camelarnos	camelaros	camelarles, camelarse
	accusative	camelarme	camelarte	camelarlo, camelarla, camelarse	camelarnos	camelaros	camelarlos, camelarlas, camelarse
with gerund camelando
	dative	camelándome	camelándote	camelándole, camelándose	camelándonos	camelándoos	camelándoles, camelándose
	accusative	camelándome	camelándote	camelándolo, camelándola, camelándose	camelándonos	camelándoos	camelándolos, camelándolas, camelándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative camela
	dative	camélame	camélate	camélale	camélanos	not used	camélales
	accusative	camélame	camélate	camélalo, camélala	camélanos	not used	camélalos, camélalas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative camelá
	dative	camelame	camelate	camelale	camelanos	not used	camelales
	accusative	camelame	camelate	camelalo, camelala	camelanos	not used	camelalos, camelalas
with formal second-person singular imperative camele
	dative	caméleme	not used	camélele, camélese	camélenos	not used	caméleles
	accusative	caméleme	not used	camélelo, camélela, camélese	camélenos	not used	camélelos, camélelas
with first-person plural imperative camelemos
	dative	not used	camelémoste	camelémosle	camelémonos	camelémoos	camelémosles
	accusative	not used	camelémoste	camelémoslo, camelémosla	camelémonos	camelémoos	camelémoslos, camelémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative camelad
	dative	cameladme	not used	cameladle	cameladnos	camelaos	cameladles
	accusative	cameladme	not used	cameladlo, cameladla	cameladnos	camelaos	cameladlos, cameladlas
with formal second-person plural imperative camelen
	dative	camélenme	not used	camélenle	camélennos	not used	camélenles, camélense
	accusative	camélenme	not used	camélenlo, camélenla	camélennos	not used	camélenlos, camélenlas, camélense

Derived terms

• camelo

 

Further reading

• “camelar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014