pollera

[puh-yair-uh, paw-ye-rah]

noun

plural

polleras 

1. a very colorful costume worn by women during fiestas in Latin American countries.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pollera¹

First recorded in 1760–65; from South American Spanish pollera “skirt, overskirt, poultry yard, chicken coop, (baby) walker,” derivative of pollo “chicken,” from Latin pullus “chicken, young animal”; pullet ( def. )

Example Sentences

Outside Mr. Arce’s campaign headquarters, more than a hundred people gathered in celebration on Monday, chanting “the pollera will be respected!” — a reference to the traditional skirt that has become the symbol of his party’s Indigenous base.

Read more on New York Times

Illustrations of the indigenous culture that can be found throughout the capital city of La Paz and the adjoined city of El Alto — such as a checkerboard flag with rainbow colors called the Wiphala and women wearing traditional bowler hats, wide pollera skirts and embroidered shawls — are scarce in Beni.

Read more on Seattle Times

“They’ve been giving orders for 500 years, and now they want to take away our 13 years,” said Herlinda Cruz, a coca grower dressed in a pollera and traditional bowler hat.

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“They will take away my pollera. They will take away my voice,” she added, breaking into tears.

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Half of the national assembly were women, many of them indigenous, who wore jaguar skins and flowing pollera skirts with newfound pride.

Read more on The Guardian