English
Words have a life of their own. They travel through time, change through use, change those who use them and the system they integrate.
In this section, we highlight words that are part of the lives of Portuguese speakers in different parts of the world. We invite people from the most varied backgrounds to talk about words that have a special meaning for them. Some of the words below are already known to all of us, others emerge from a linguistic substratum, enriching the language and reminding us of its dynamic character.
Please note that the information conveyed is the responsibility of the individual contributors.
Português
As palavras têm uma vida própria. Viajam através do tempo, mudam através do uso, mudam aqueles que as utilizam e o sistema que integram.
Nesta secção, destacamos as palavras que fazem parte da vida dos falantes de português em diferentes pontos do globo. Convidamos pessoas dos mais variados quadrante a falar sobre palavras que possuem um siginificado especial para elas. Algumas das palavras abaixo já são conhecidas de todos nós, outras surgem de um substrato linguístico que emerge, enriquecendo a língua e recordando-nos o seu carácter dinâmico.
Por favor notem que a informação transmitida é da responsabilidade de cada um dos contribuintes.
Cafuné • Brazil
Cristina is a Brazilian PhD student. She will tell us about the word “cafuné”, a Brazilian Portuguese word that in English means “running your fingers through the hair of someone you love”.
Alfacinha • Portugal
Marília, born in Lisbon, Portugal, tells us about the word “alfacinha” and its two different meanings. She also explains the possible reasons why people from Lisbon are called so.
Mano • Macau
Ricardo Jorge Iun is a student from Macau. In this video, he introduces us to the word “mano” that is commonly used in informal conversations among younger people.
Fixe • Portugal
Rui Badaró, Portuguese sofware engineer, talks about the origin of the word “fixe”, originated from the galician-portuguese “fix”. This word refers to something that is cool, nice.
Maningue • Mozambique
André Massina, Mozambican engineer, introduces us to the word “maningue” that means “lot”, “much”, “very”. This word is commonly used in informal conversations among younger people.
Mangolé • Angola
Elsa Rodrigues, Angolan lecturer at ISCED Benguela, talks about the origin of the word mangolé, originated from the quimbundo prefix munqua> mang + golé. This word refers to something that is typical or characteristic of Angola.
Mar • Portugal
Ana de Medeiros, Director of the Modern Language Centre at King’s College London, brings one of her favourite words, the “ocean”, and reads a poem of the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa titled “Mar Português”.
Salo • Angola
Al Ndjali, Angolan writer, tells us about the word “salo”, an Angolan word that refers to a demanding and rewarding work done with dedication.
Milho • Mozambique
Vitor Lucas Lindegaard, translator and Portuguese Language teacher, tells the story of the word “milho”, corn in English, and how it was introduced in Mozambique in the 17th century.
Galandum • Portugal
Paulo Meirinhos, Portuguese musician, speaks about the Mirandese word “Galandum”. From the French expression “galant homme”, this word was introduced in Portugal during the French invasion and means gallant, gentleman.
Saudade • Brazil
Bruno Souza, Brazilian web designer, speaks about the word saudade and how meaningful this word is in the lusophone culture. Bruno plays one of his favorite songs “Chega de saudade”.
Bolada • Mozambique
Dércio Tsandzana, PhD candidate at Science Po, from Mozambique, explains the meaning of the word bolada, which refers to a small informal selling business among young people.
Xodó • Brazil
Igo Rolim, Brazilian jurist, brings us the word “xodó” a very popular word in the region of Paraíba, in the easternmost end of the Americas, that means “love”.
Biscota • East-Timor
Jenia Filomena Lobo, undergraduate student at the National University of Timor Lorosa’e, explains the meaning of the word “biscota”, which refers to a bus or a van. In Tetum, the national laguage of East-Timor, the orthography is “biskota” and it was adapted to East-Timor Portuguese as “biscota”. This word is also used in the abbreviated form “bis” in Tetum and Indonesian languages.
Morabeza • Cape Verde
Indira Pires, Executive Director at the Pedro Pires Institute for Leadership, Cabo Verde, brings us the word “morabeza”, meaning hospitality and warmth. This word comes from the Portuguese “amorável” and refers to one of the most charming characteristics of the people of Cabo Verde, the ability to welcoming visitors with happiness.
Guinendadi • Guinea Bissau
Mamadu Alimó Djaló, cook, sociologist, poet from Guinea Bissau explains the meaning of “guinendadi”, the word that defines the essence of being “Guineense”, i.e., the identity and sense of belonging to a country that has a unique culture, music, dance, gastronomy, literature and language.
Qui-da-lê • São Tomé e Príncipe
Lectícia Trindade is a writer from São Tomé e Príncipe. The word she brings to this dictionary is qui-da-lê, an interjection, to express surprise, originated from the Portuguese expression “Aqui d’el rei”, used in the past to cry for help. This expression is still used to ask for help, but the word also indicates surprise or amazement.