Posts tagged with "origin"

Portuguese Words of English Origin

Posted by Rachel 9 Comments
Feb 15 2011

Between globalization and the rise of technology, you’ll find dozens, if not hundreds of Portuguese words that come directly from English. In some cases, the spelling of words are changed to adapt to the Portuguese pronunciation, but the words essentially stay the same. In Portuguese, these words are known as anglicismos. Here are some examples:

picape [pee-kah-pee] = pick-up (truck, SUV)

nocaute [noh-ck-ow-chee] = knockout (in boxing)

blecaute [bleh-ck-ow-chee] = blackout (electricity outage)

bife [bee-fee] = beef

futebol [foo-chee-bow] = football (soccer)

site [cy-chee] = site (website)

hit [hee-chee] = hit (like Top 40 hits)

performance [per-fohr-mahn-see] = performance (like computer performance)

designer [deh-zein-ehr] = designer (fashion, etc)

show [show] = show (convert)

blog [blog-ee] = blog

reset [heh-seh-chee] = reset

play [plei] = play (press play)

ranking [hah-nking] = ranking

piercing [peer-sing] = body piercing

Can you think of any others?

The Caipirinha

Posted by Rachel 1 Comment
Sep 8 2010

One of the best known elements of Brazilian culture outside of Brazil, gringos can’t get enough of the caipirinha! But it helps to know about its origins, what it means, and how it’s made. 

Popular folklore says that Queen Carlota Joaquina of Portugal invented the drink when she lived in Brazil, mixing her beloved cachaça with fruit and sugar. Supposedly, she drank incredible quantities of the liquor, and the palace had to order dozens of bottles for her each month. Later, the drink was a favorite of Brazilian writers, such as Oswald de Andrade , Mário de Andrade, Monteiro Lobato. In the 1920s, Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral shared the drink with friends in Paris, when cachaça was rare in Europe.

The word itself, caipirinha, comes from the word caipira, or someone from rural Brazil. Roughly translated, this drink is actually called “little redneck”!

While this cocktail is traditionally made with cachaça, crushed limes, sugar, and ice, it has become so popular that it now has dozens of variations. The Caipivodka, or Capiroska, are made with vodka, and the Caipirissima is made with rum. The Caipirão is made in Portugal from a local liqueur, and the Sakerinha is made with Japanese sake. The Caipifruta is a caiprinha made with different kinds of fruit, like kiwi, passion fruit, pineapple and mango.

Next time, we’ll take a look at some caipirinha recipes and learn how to make it!

Japanese Words of Portuguese Origin

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Feb 4 2010

Did you know that some Japanese words actually come from Portuguese? This Luso influence dates back to the 1500s, when the Portuguese established trade with Japan, the first Europeans to manage the journey.  Through traders and missionaries, the Portuguese brought new words and products to Japan, and thus a lasting cultural influence.

Let’s check out some of the words:

Japanese English definition Portuguese

bīdoro – a type of glass -  vidro

birōdo – velvet – veludo

furasuko – flask – frasco

jōro  – watering can – jarro

kappa – raincoat – capa

koppu – cup – copo

manto – cloak – manto

pan – bread – pão

shabon – soap – sabão

tabako – tobacco – tabaco

One of the most surprising words: tempura, the famous Japanese fried seafood and vegetables dish, comes from the Portuguese word tempero and temporar, which means seasoning and to season, respectively. Some say it comes from the word têmpora, a period when Catholics abstain from eating meat. Another interesting caveat: the Portuguese introduced European cooking oil in Japan, which is used to make this fried dish.

For a complete list of Japanese words of Portuguese origin, see here.

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