capoeira

English

WOTD – 18 December 2006

Etymology

From Brazilian Portuguese capoeira, of uncertain etymology.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kæpəˈweəɹə/, /kæpəʊˈeəɹə/
• IPA^(key): /kɑpəˈwɛɹə/, /kɑpˈwɛɹə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

capoeira (countable and uncountable, plural capoeiras)

1. (uncountable) A martial art developed in Brazil.
2. (countable) A practitioner of this martial art.

Derived terms

• capoeirista

Translations

the martial art developed in Brazil

• Czech: capoeira f
• Dutch: capoeira (nl)
• Japanese: カポエイラ (kapoeira)
• Portuguese: capoeira (pt) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: капоэ́йра (ru) (kapoéjra)
• Spanish: capoeira (es) f
• Swedish: capoeira (sv)

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Czech

Etymology

From Portuguese capoeira.

Noun

capoeira f

1. capoeira

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese capoeira.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaːpuˈeːraː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ca‧po‧ei‧ra

Noun

capoeira f (uncountable)

1. capoeira

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French

Etymology

From Portuguese capoeira.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.pwɛ.ʁa/ ~ /ka.pwe.ʁa/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

capoeira f (uncountable)

1. capoeira

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Galician

Etymology

Attested since 1707. From capón +‎ -eira.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kɑpoˈejɾɐ], [kɑpʊˈejɾɐ]

Noun

capoeira f (plural capoeiras)

1. coop for fattening the capons, which was usually kept inside the house
2. flat surface over the oven, where this coop used to be
   • 1889, Xulio Alonso Sánchez, O Chufón:

     O xastre sentouse na capoeira, que por tras do caldeiro estaba, picou un cigarro, poñendo mentras o debullaba entre as maus, o papel no labeo, namentras que o patrón botaba un angazo de toxos no lume.

     the tailor sat down on the oven's stone, which was behind the cauldron, and prepared a cigarette putting, while handling it, the paper on the lip, whilst the head of household was throwing a bunch of furzes into the fire

3. henhouse, coop
   • 1707, Salvador Francisco Roel, Entremés ao real e feliz parto da nosa raíña:

     E pois eu tamén lle ofrezo

     duas ducias de regeyfas,

     seis moletes, dèz galiñas,

     que teño na capoeyra,

     e mais vn par de capòs

     que m'àn de dar quintafeyra.

     And so also I offer her

     two dozens loaves,

     six muffins, ten hens that

     I have in the coop

     and a pair of capons

     they'll give me Thursday

   Synonyms: galiñeiro, poleiro

Related terms

• capón

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “capoeira”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “capoeira”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “capoeira”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

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Portuguese

capoeira (1)

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.poˈe(j).ɾɐ/ [ka.poˈe(ɪ̯).ɾɐ], /ka.puˈe(j).ɾɐ/ [ka.pʊˈe(ɪ̯).ɾɐ], (faster pronunciation) /kaˈpwe(j).ɾɐ/ [kaˈpwe(ɪ̯).ɾɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.poˈe(j).ɾɐ/ [ka.poˈe(ɪ̯).ɾɐ], /ka.puˈe(j).ɾɐ/ [ka.pʊˈe(ɪ̯).ɾɐ], (faster pronunciation) /kaˈpwe(j).ɾɐ/ [kaˈpwe(ɪ̯).ɾɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.poˈe(j).ɾa/ [ka.poˈe(ɪ̯).ɾa], /ka.puˈe(j).ɾa/ [ka.pʊˈe(ɪ̯).ɾa], (faster pronunciation) /kaˈpwe(j).ɾa/ [kaˈpwe(ɪ̯).ɾa]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈpwɐj.ɾɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈpwɐj.ɾɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈpwej.ɾɐ/
  • (Central Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈpwej.ɾɐ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈpwe.ɾɐ/

• Hyphenation: ca‧po‧ei‧ra

Etymology 1

capão (“capon”) +‎ -eira. Compare Galician capoeira and Spanish caponera.

Noun

capoeira f (plural capoeiras)

1. henhouse

   Fui à capoeira apanhar ovos.

   I went to the henhouse to gather eggs.

   Synonym: galinheiro

2. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (colloquial) brothel

Etymology 2

Of uncertain etymology, but usually said to be from Old Tupi ko'puera (from ko (“clearing”) + puera (“that once was”)) or from ka'apuera (from ka'a (“woods; forest”)), both referring to lands that used to be cleared by the Tupis for agriculture and to which slaves would escape.

Noun

capoeira f (uncountable)

1. capoeira, a martial art developed in Brazil

   A capoeira é uma arte marcial brasileira.

   Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art.

Derived terms

• capoeiragem
• capoeirista

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Spanish

Etymology

From Portuguese capoeira.

Noun

capoeira f (plural capoeiras)

1. capoeira