List of English words of Portuguese origin

This is a list of English words potentially borrowed or derived from Portuguese (or Galician-Portuguese). The list also includes words originally derived from other languages but that got into English through Portuguese after the Age of Discovery not contradicting the title itself:

A-E

Açaí 
from Portuguese açaí, from Tupi-Guarani asaí[1]
Ainhum 
from Portuguese, based on Yoruba eyun 'saw'[2]
Albacore 
from albacor from Arabic بكورة al-bukr (="the young camels")[3]
Albatross 
an alteration of albatroz, under influence of the Latin word albus ("white")[4]
Albino 
from albino, with the same meaning, from Latin albus[5]
Amah 
from Portuguese ama, nurse, housemaid, from Medieval Latin amma, mother[6]
Anhinga 
from Portuguese, from Tupi áyinga[7]
Añil 
from anil, through French, via Arabic النيل al-nili and Persian نیلا nila; ultimately from Sanskrit नीली nili (="indigo)[8]
Auto-da-fé 
a judicial 'act' or sentence of the Inquisition from auto da fé (= "act/sentence of faith")[9]
Ayah 
Anglo-Indian native nurse, children's governess from Port. aia, originally from Latin avia (grandmother). Etymogically related to English "uncle"[10]
Banana 
from Portuguese, of African origin; akin to Wolof banäna banana[11]
Banyan 
from Portuguese, from Gujarati vāṇiyo, from Sanskrit "vaṇij"[12]
Baroque 
from barroco (adj. = "unshapely")[13]
Bossa nova 
(= "new trend" or "new wave")[14]
Breeze 
probably from Old Spanish and Portuguese briza 'northeastern wind[15]
Bual 
from boal[16]
Buccaneer
from French boucanier, from boucaner, ("to cure meat"), from boucan, ("barbecue frame"), of Tupian origin, mukém, ("rack"), via Portuguese moquém.
Buffalo 
from Portuguese bufalo, from late Latin bufalus, from Greek boubalos 'antelope, wild ox'[17]
Cachalot 
from Portuguese cachalote (same meaning), probably via Spanish or French. The Portuguese word comes from cachola ("head" or "big head")[18]
Cachou 
from French, from Portuguese cachu, from Malay kacu[19]
Carambola
Star fruit - Portuguese, perhaps from Marathi कराम्बल karambal[20]
Caramel 
via French and Spanish, from Portuguese caramelo, 'caramel', from Late Latin calamellus.[21] Typical Portuguese rhotacism of the letter "L".
Caravel 
from caravela[22]
Carbonado 
from Portuguese[23]
Carioca 
from Tupi "carioca" (cari = white men, oca = house; house of the white men), via Portuguese carioca (native of Rio de Janeiro)[24]
Carnauba 
from carnaúba[25]
Cashew 
from caju (a tropical fruit)[26]
Caste 
from casta (="class")[27]
Cobra 
shortening of cobra-de-capelo, with the same meaning (literally, "snake with a hood")[28]
Coconut 
from coco + nut [29]
Commando 
from comando 'command'[30]
Cougar 
from French couguar, from Portuguese suçuarana, perhaps from Tupian sɨwasuarána or Guaraní guaçu ara.[31]
Creole 
French créole, from Castilian Spanish criollo, person native to a locality, from Portuguese crioulo, diminutive of cria, ("'person raised in one's house with no blood relation, a servant'"), < Portuguese criar ("'to rear, to raise, to bring up'"), from Latin creare, to beget; < Latin creo ("'to create'"), which came into English via French between 1595 and 1605. [same root as creature][32]
Cuspidor 
from Portuguese, spitter, from cuspir 'to spit'[33]
Dodo 
According to Encarta Dictionary and Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, "dodo" comes from Portuguese doudo (currently, more often, doido) meaning "fool" or "crazy". The present Portuguese word dodô ("dodo") is of English origin. The Portuguese word doudo or doido may itself be a loanword from Old English (cp. English "dolt")[34]
Embarrass 
from Portuguese embaraçar (same meaning; also to tangle - string or rope), from em + baraço (archaic for "rope")[35]
Emu 
from ema (="rhea")[36]

F-N

Farofa 
typical dish of Brazil
Feijoada 
typical Portuguese and Brazilian stew. Used during the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Fetish 
from French fétiche, from Portuguese feitiço ("charm", "sorcery", "spell"), from Latin factitius or feticius ("artificial")[37]
Flamingo 
from Portuguese flamingo, from Spanish flamenco[38]
Genipapo 
from Portuguese jenipapo, from Tupi[39]
Grouper 
from garoupa[40]
Guarana 
from Portuguese guaraná, from Tupi warana[41]
Igarapé 
from Tupi : Area with trees near of rivers with the roots in the water.
Indigo 
from Spanish indico, Portuguese endego, and Dutch (via Portuguese) indigo, from Latin indicum, from Greek indikon 'blue dye from India'
Jacaranda 
from Tupi yakaranda.
Jackfruit 
from Portuguese jaca, from Malayalam chakka + fruit
Jaggery 
from Portuguese xagara, jag(a)ra, from Malayalam cakkarā, from Sanskrit śarkarā
Jaguar 
from Tupi or Guaraní jaguarete via Portuguese
Junk 
from junco, from Javanese djong (Malay adjong).
Konpeitō
Japanese sweets, from the Portuguese confeito (sugar candy)
Labrador 
from the name of Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador, the surname meaning "landowner" or "farmer".
Lacquer 
from French lacre, from Portuguese lacre, from Arabic lakk, from Persian lak
Lambada 
from lambada (="beating, lashing")
Lascar 
from Portuguese lascari, from Urdu and Persian laškarī 'soldier', from laškar 'army'.
Launch (boat) 
from Portuguese lancha, from Malay lancharan 'boat'.
Lingo 
perhaps from Old Portuguese lingoa, today's língua, ("language", "tongue") related to Old Provençal lengo, lingo. Or perhaps, from Polari slang, ultimately from Italian lingua franca. Polari is a distinctive English argot in use since at least the 18th century among groups of theatrical and circus performers and in certain homosexual communities, derived largely from Italian, directly or through Lingua Franca. Sailors' expressions from the 16th century passed on to 19th century English 'gay' culture, and vaudeville theatrical world, including words derived from a variety of sources such as Italian, Romani, Yiddish, and British rhyming slang.
Macaque 
from macaco, through French
Macaw 
from macau; ultimately from Tupi macavuana.
Mandarin 
from mandarim, from the Malay mantri, from Hindi मंत्री matri, from Sanskrit मन्त्रिन् mantrin (="counsellor")
Mango 
from manga, via Malay mangga, ultimately from Malayalam മാങ്ങ māṅṅa or from Tamil மாங்காய் mānkāy
Mangrove 
probably from Portuguese mangue mangrove (from Spanish mangle, probably from Taino) + English grove
Manioc 
from mandioca (="cassava") from Tupi mandioca.
Maraca 
from maracá from Tupi
Marimba 
from Portuguese, of Bantu origin; akin to Kimbundu ma-rimba : ma-, pl. n. pref. + rimba, xylophone, hand piano
Marmalade 
from marmelada, a preserve made from marmelo (="quince")
Molasses 
from melaço (="treacle")
Monsoon 
from monção
Mosquito 
from Mosquito meaning 'little fly'
Mulatto 
Portuguese mulato. From mula (=mule) a cross between a horse and a donkey or from the Arabic term muwallad, which means "a person of mixed ancestry"
Negro 
Negro means "black" in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian, being from the Latin word niger (Dative nigro, Accusative nigrum) and the Greek word Νέγρος Negros both of the same meaning. It came to English through the Portuguese and Spanish slave trade. Prior to the 1970s, it was the dominant term for Black people of African origin; in most English language contexts (except its inclusion in the names of some organizations founded when the term had currency, e.g. the United Negro College Fund), it is now considered either archaic or a slur.

P-Z

Pagoda 
from pagode; corruption of Persian بوتکاتا butkata (+"idol deity")
Palanquin 
from Portuguese palanquim, from Oriya pālaṅki
Palaver 
a chat, from palavra (="word"), Portuguese palavra (word), parabola (parable), speech (current fala, discurso), chat (current bate-papo, papo, palavrinha, conversa and also Eng. chat) alteration of Late Latin parabola, speech, parable.
Pickaninny 
from pequenina (="little one") or pequeninha (="toddler")
Piranha 
from piranha (=piranha), from Tupi pirá ("fish") + ánha ("cut")
Pomfret 
from Portuguese pampo
potato
from "batata"
Ramkie
from Afrikaans, from Nama rangi-b, perhaps from Portuguese rabequinha diminutive of rabeca 'fiddle'
Sablefish 
from sável (="shad," "whitefish")
Samba 
from samba ; ultimately of Angolan origin, semba
Sargasso 
from sargaço (="sargasso")
Savvy 
from sabe he knows, from saber to know
Serval 
from French, from Portuguese (lobo-)cerval 'Iberian lynx', from Latin cervarius
Stevedore 
from estivador (="stevedore")
Talapoin 
from French, from Portuguese talapão
Tank 
from tanque
Tapioca 
from tapioca
Teak 
from teca
Tempura 
Japanese 天麩羅, tenpura?, also written as "天ぷら", from Portuguese têmporas, (=Ember Days)
Verandah 
from varanda (="balcony" or "railing"), from Hindi वरांडा varanda or Bengali baranda
Vindaloo 
probably from Portuguese vin d'alho 'wine and garlic (sauce)', from vinho 'wine' + alho 'garlic' or possibly from vinagre 'vinegar' + alho 'garlic'
Yam 
from inhame or Spanish ñame from West African nyama (="eat")
Zebra 
from zebra (same meaning), which started as the feminine form of zebro (a kind of deer), from vulgar Latin eciferus, classical Latin EQUIFERVS.

Character

The ~, commonly called tilde, came into existence as a distinct character (separate from its superscript use on the ñ and other letters) on Portuguese-language mechanical typewriters, a dead key with which to create ã, Ã, õ, and Õ.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "açai: definition of açai in Oxford dictionary".
  2. ↑ "ainhum: definition of ainhum in Oxford dictionary".
  3. ↑ "Albacore - Merriam-Webster Online".
  4. ↑ "Albatross Define Albatross at Dictionary.com".
  5. ↑ "Albino Define Albino at Dictionary.com".
  6. ↑ "amah - definition of amah by the Free Online Dictionary".
  7. ↑ "anhinga Define anhinga at Dictionary.com".
  8. ↑ "anil - definition of anil by the Free Online Dictionary".
  9. ↑ "Auto-da-fé - definition of Auto-da-fé by the Free Online Dictionary".
  10. ↑ "ayah - definition of ayah by the Free Online Dictionary".
  11. ↑ "banana - definition of banana by the Free Online Dictionary".
  12. ↑ "banyan: definition of banyan in Oxford dictionary".
  13. ↑ "Baroque - Merriam-Webster Online".
  14. ↑ "Bossa nova - Merriam-Webster Online".
  15. ↑ "breeze: definition of breeze in Oxford dictionary".
  16. ↑ "Bual: definition of Bual in Oxford dictionary".
  17. ↑ "Buffalo - Online Etymology Dictionary".
  18. ↑ "Cachalot Define Cachalot at Dictionary.com".
  19. ↑ "cachou: definition of cachou in Oxford dictionary".
  20. ↑ "carambola: definition of carambola in Oxford dictionary".
  21. ↑ "Caramel Define Caramel at Dictionary.com".
  22. ↑ "Caravel Define Caravel at Dictionary.com".
  23. ↑ "carbonado: definition of carbonado in Oxford dictionary".
  24. ↑ "Carioca: definition of Carioca in Oxford dictionary".
  25. ↑ "carnauba: definition of carnauba in Oxford dictionary".
  26. ↑ "Cashew Define Cashew at Dictionary.com".
  27. ↑ "Caste Define Caste at Dictionary.com".
  28. ↑ "cobra - Online Etymology Dictionary".
  29. ↑ "coco Define coco at Dictionary.com".
  30. ↑ "commando: definition of commando in Oxford dictionary".
  31. ↑ "cougar - Online Etymology Dictionary".
  32. ↑ "creole - Online Etymology Dictionary".
  33. ↑ "cuspidor: definition of cuspidor in Oxford dictionary".
  34. ↑ "dodo - Online Etymology Dictionary".
  35. ↑ Encarta Dictionary:"Via French embarrasser 'to impede, disconcert' from, ultimately, Portuguese embaraçar, from baraço 'halter'."
  36. ↑ "emu: definition of emu in Oxford dictionary".
  37. ↑ "Fetish Define Fetish at Dictionary.com".
  38. ↑ "flamingo - Online Etymology Dictionary".
  39. ↑ "genipapo: definition of genipapo in Oxford dictionary".
  40. ↑ "grouper: definition of grouper in Oxford dictionary".
  41. ↑ "Guarana - Merriam-Webster Online".
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