16.4.12
14.4.12
Glossary of Brazilian Terms
aguardente [ah.gwar.dehn'tih], literally "fire water"- same as cachaça
(q.v.)
buriti [boo.ree.tee], a mauritia or burity palm (Mauritia spp.).
caatinga [kah.teen'gah], any region of stunted vegetation, especially that found in the drought areas of northeastern Brazil.
cabra [kah'brah], bandit, ruffian; backwoods assassin; half-breed Negro.
cachaça [kah.sha'ssah], raw, white cane alcohol; called also pinga and aguardente.
capanga [kah.pahn'gah], thug, ruffian; hoodlum; hired assassin; henchman; bodyguard.
caruru [kah.roo.roo'], gumbo.
chapadão [shah.pah.dahoong], tableland, extensive plateau.
comblém [koom.blem], a type of gun of foreign make.
compadre [koom.pah'dreh], bosom friend, crony.
conto [kohn'too], one thousand milreis-about $250.00 at that time.
delegado [deh.leh.gah'doo], chief of police.
dona [doh'nah], lady, madam; also, a title equivalent to Miss or Mrs. prefixed to the Christian name: as, Dona Maria.
fazenda [fah.zehn'dah], large plantation or cattle ranch; a landed estate. (The Portuguese equivalent of Spanish hacienda.)
fazendeiro [fah.zehn.day'roo], owner of a fazenda; cattle rancher; planter.
farofa [fah.raw'fah], a dish made of manioc meal browned in grease or butter; sometimes mixed with bits of meat, crisp fat, chopped eggs, etc.
faveira [fah.vay'rah], a large leguminous tree.
gerais [zheh.rise'], high open country, vast upland plains in the backlands.
gravatá [grah.vah.tah'], any of numerous plants of the pineapple family.
jacuba [zhah.koo'bah], a drink composed of manioc meal, water, sugar or honey, and cachaça.
jagunço [zhah.goon'soo], in this book, a member of a lawless band of armed ruffians in the hire of rival politicos, who warred against each other and against the military, at the turn of the century, in northeastern Brazil. Cf. cabra and capanga.
januária [zhah.noo.ah'reeyah], a brand of cachaça (q.v.).
joão-conqo [zhoo.ah'oong kohn'goo], a large bird of the oriole family.
liso [lee'zoo], large, flat desert. Cf. raso.
milreis [meel.rays'], an old Brazilian monetary unit, equal at that time to about 25 cents.
mutuca [moo.too'kah], a kind of horse fly.
noruega [noh.roo.eh'gah], a cold, sharp wind; also, cool, damp ground sloping away from the sun.
pinga [peeng'ah], same as cachaça (q.v.).
piranha [pee.rahn'yuh], a voracious fresh-water fish: the caribe.
rapadura [rah.pah.doo'rah], raw brown sugar in hard squares, eaten as food or candy.
raso [rah'zoo], extensive tract of flat, desert land. Cf. liso.
saci [sah.see'], in Brazilian folklore, a small, one-legged, mischievous Negro, who pesters wayfarers at night or sets traps for them.
Seo, Seo, Seu, Sio = abbreviations of senhor (q.v.).
senhor [seh.nhor'], mister, sir; any gentleman. [Used in formal conversation as the equivalent of "you."]
serra [seh'rrah], sierra, mountain range.
sertão [sehr.tahoong'], hinterland, sparsely settled interior of the country; in particular, the backlands of the Brazilian Northeast. In this book, the term refers mainly to the northen half of the State of Minas Gerais.
sertanejo [sehr.tahn.ay.zhoo'], backlander; an inhabitant of the sertão.
traíra [trah.ee'rah], a voracious, fresh-water tropical fish.
vereda [veh.reh'dah], in this story, any headwaters stream smaller than a river.
zebu [zeh.boo'], humped cattle.
(Da edição gringo-ianque de GS:V, 1963, como oferenda ao sétimo ano de B.-do-U.; hurrah!)
(q.v.)
buriti [boo.ree.tee], a mauritia or burity palm (Mauritia spp.).
caatinga [kah.teen'gah], any region of stunted vegetation, especially that found in the drought areas of northeastern Brazil.
cabra [kah'brah], bandit, ruffian; backwoods assassin; half-breed Negro.
cachaça [kah.sha'ssah], raw, white cane alcohol; called also pinga and aguardente.
capanga [kah.pahn'gah], thug, ruffian; hoodlum; hired assassin; henchman; bodyguard.
caruru [kah.roo.roo'], gumbo.
chapadão [shah.pah.dahoong], tableland, extensive plateau.
comblém [koom.blem], a type of gun of foreign make.
compadre [koom.pah'dreh], bosom friend, crony.
conto [kohn'too], one thousand milreis-about $250.00 at that time.
delegado [deh.leh.gah'doo], chief of police.
dona [doh'nah], lady, madam; also, a title equivalent to Miss or Mrs. prefixed to the Christian name: as, Dona Maria.
fazenda [fah.zehn'dah], large plantation or cattle ranch; a landed estate. (The Portuguese equivalent of Spanish hacienda.)
fazendeiro [fah.zehn.day'roo], owner of a fazenda; cattle rancher; planter.
farofa [fah.raw'fah], a dish made of manioc meal browned in grease or butter; sometimes mixed with bits of meat, crisp fat, chopped eggs, etc.
faveira [fah.vay'rah], a large leguminous tree.
gerais [zheh.rise'], high open country, vast upland plains in the backlands.
gravatá [grah.vah.tah'], any of numerous plants of the pineapple family.
jacuba [zhah.koo'bah], a drink composed of manioc meal, water, sugar or honey, and cachaça.
jagunço [zhah.goon'soo], in this book, a member of a lawless band of armed ruffians in the hire of rival politicos, who warred against each other and against the military, at the turn of the century, in northeastern Brazil. Cf. cabra and capanga.
januária [zhah.noo.ah'reeyah], a brand of cachaça (q.v.).
joão-conqo [zhoo.ah'oong kohn'goo], a large bird of the oriole family.
liso [lee'zoo], large, flat desert. Cf. raso.
milreis [meel.rays'], an old Brazilian monetary unit, equal at that time to about 25 cents.
mutuca [moo.too'kah], a kind of horse fly.
noruega [noh.roo.eh'gah], a cold, sharp wind; also, cool, damp ground sloping away from the sun.
pinga [peeng'ah], same as cachaça (q.v.).
piranha [pee.rahn'yuh], a voracious fresh-water fish: the caribe.
rapadura [rah.pah.doo'rah], raw brown sugar in hard squares, eaten as food or candy.
raso [rah'zoo], extensive tract of flat, desert land. Cf. liso.
saci [sah.see'], in Brazilian folklore, a small, one-legged, mischievous Negro, who pesters wayfarers at night or sets traps for them.
Seo, Seo, Seu, Sio = abbreviations of senhor (q.v.).
senhor [seh.nhor'], mister, sir; any gentleman. [Used in formal conversation as the equivalent of "you."]
serra [seh'rrah], sierra, mountain range.
sertão [sehr.tahoong'], hinterland, sparsely settled interior of the country; in particular, the backlands of the Brazilian Northeast. In this book, the term refers mainly to the northen half of the State of Minas Gerais.
sertanejo [sehr.tahn.ay.zhoo'], backlander; an inhabitant of the sertão.
traíra [trah.ee'rah], a voracious, fresh-water tropical fish.
vereda [veh.reh'dah], in this story, any headwaters stream smaller than a river.
zebu [zeh.boo'], humped cattle.
(Da edição gringo-ianque de GS:V, 1963, como oferenda ao sétimo ano de B.-do-U.; hurrah!)