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noun, masculine

ayuntamiento

/aʝuntaˈmjento/

noun, masculine/aʝuntaˈmjento/plural: ayuntamientos

city council, town council, council (a corporation or body of magistrates in cities and towns, corresponding to mayor and aldermen); city hall, town hall; sexual intercourse

Synonyms: alcaldía

From obsolete ayuntar ("join, gather") + -miento, ultimately from Latin adiūnctus, a contraction of ad- + iūnctus. Note how ayuntamiento preserves the Latin palatal – as does yunta ("yoke [of oxen], team [of horses]"), but not junto ("together"). Both terms equally derive from iūnctus, but only the latter underwent velarisation.