Salvador

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large Brazilian city known for its historic center and coastal location ; a common male first name of Spanish origin meaning 'savior'
2. The capital city famous for its vibrant culture and colonial architecture in northeastern Brazil ; a masculine personal name widely used in Spanish-speaking countries
3. An important urban area in Brazil noted for its Afro-Brazilian heritage and beautiful beaches ; a male given name derived from a title meaning one who rescues or saves

Etymology: Salvador is a place name before it is anything else. Most of the Spanish and Portuguese places that carry it honor Jesus Christ, whose title "Salvador" means "Savior," and the city in Brazil's Bahia state is the best-known example. Many Spanish towns bearing the name are shortened from "San Salvador," or "Holy Savior," so the city's name is a religious title worn as a geographic label. The word itself goes back to Latin "salvator," an agent noun built from "salvare," "to save," with the suffix "-tor" that marks someone who performs an action. Spanish and Portuguese took that Latin form as "salvador," and English kept a close relative of it as "savior." Salvator and Salvatore, the Italian forms, are also doublets, meaning they come from the same Latin source by separate routes.