caralho

Portuguese

Etymology

The etymology is uncertain, but the most plausible source on the basis of both semantics and historical phonology appears to be unattested Vulgar Latin *c(h)araculum, which would have been a Latinized diminutive of Ancient Greek χάραξ (khárax, “stick”).

Another possibility is Late Latin cassus or its diminutive, carassus (“empty”), eventually used to describe a crow's nest on a ship.

Certain cognates include Spanish carajo, Galician carallo and Catalan carall. Attempts to attribute Italian same-meaning cazzo to the same etymon fail on phonological grounds, as the /r/ of carajo (or its absence in cazzo) remains unexplained, and no Latin phonological sequence develops as both /x/ in Spanish and /tts/ in Italian.

Doublet of carago.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈɾa.ʎu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈɾa.ʎu/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /kaˈɾa.ʎo/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐˈɾa.ʎu/

• Audio (Oporto, Portugal):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʎu
• Hyphenation: ca‧ra‧lho

Noun

caralho m (plural caralhos)

1. (vulgar) penis; dick; cock

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:penis/translations

2. (vulgar) shit; crap; worthless stuff or thing

Interjection

1. (colloquial, vulgar) fuck!

Related terms

• pênis