Today we’re looking at something a little different: not Portuguese words you need to learn, but Portuguese words you already know.
A number of English words can be traced back to Portuguese, having made their way into the language over centuries of trade and exploration. In most cases, English kept the word and quietly changed what it covers.
- cobra – In Portuguese, cobrasnake covers every snake there is. English borrowed the word and narrowed it to one specific kind, so a word that names a whole category in Portuguese names a single species in English.
- marmalade – From marmeladamarmalade , a preserve made from quince (marmeloquince ) in Portugal, where the word still points to that one fruit. English cooks liked the method and started applying it to other fruits, namely oranges, so in English the word followed the technique rather than the ingredient.
- monsoon – From monçãomonsoon , a Portuguese borrowing from Arabic mawsim, meaning “season” or “the right time” to travel. Portuguese sailors narrowed it to the winds that made East Indies voyages possible, and English narrowed it again to the heavy rains those winds bring.
- molasses – From melaçomolasses , the syrup left over from refining sugar, once one of Portugal’s most valuable exports. The word comes from o melhoney , naming the syrup after what it resembles rather than what it is made from.
- fetish – From feitiçocharm or spell , which reached English through French (fétiche). The Portuguese word still carries that sense today, long after the English one moved on to mean something else entirely.
- Labrador – Both the dog breed and the Canadian region are often said to be named after the Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador. His name is spelled with a v, and English respelled it with a b along the way. (Though there are other competing theories!)
These days, English words are making the journey into Portuguese. But instead of trade ships, it’s by way of technology, global business, and pop culture. Words like email, selfie, software, internet, download, wi-fi, marketing, feedback, smartphone, and stress now appear in Portuguese dictionaries, so at least you have a head start on vocabulary.