Botiflers was a name given to Philip V of Spain

Philip V of Spain

Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...

 supporters during the War of the Spanish Succession

War of the Spanish Succession

The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...

. They were usually Catalan aristocrats

Aristocracy

Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...

 and noblemen who wanted to increase their power from the upcoming regime that would result after Bourbon

House of Bourbon

The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...

 victory. In Majorca, the term evolved to "botifarres", who was started to be used to refer to all noblemen, independently of any national ascription.

Botifler originally referred to anyone having inflated cheek

Cheek

Cheeks constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. They may also be referred to as jowls. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve...

s. Later on, it designated specifically to any Bourbon supporter because the latter were said to have also inflated cheeks.

Nowadays, the term is used by Catalan nationalists

Catalan nationalism

Catalan nationalism or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....

to refer pejoratively to unionists.