caramelo

Portuguese

caramelo

Etymology

From Old Portuguese caramelo, from Late Latin calamellus, diminutive of Latin calamus, or alternatively from Medieval Latin cannamellis (“honey cane”), probably from Latin canna + mellis, genitive of mel (“honey”). Another theory gives the Medieval Latin word an Arabic origin.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.ɾɐ.ˈmɛ.lu/
• (General Brazilian) IPA^(key): /ka.ɾa.ˈmɛ.lu/
  • (South Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌka.ɾa.ˈmɛ.lo/
  • (Northeast Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌka.ɾɐ.ˈmɛ.lʊ/

• Hyphenation: ca‧ra‧me‧lo

Noun

caramelo m (plural caramelos)

1. (uncountable) caramel (confection)
2. candy made of caramel
3. (generalisation) any candy
4. ice, icicle

Synonyms

• (any candy) doce

Related terms

• caramelizar, caramelado, caramelização

Descendants

• → Spanish: caramelo
  • → French: caramel
    • → English: caramel

---

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese caramelo, probably from Late Latin calamellus, and therefore a doublet of the inherited caramillo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɾaˈmelo/

Noun

caramelo m (plural caramelos)

1. candy
2. (more specifically) caramel

Derived terms

• a punto de caramelo
• bastón de caramelo
• manzana de caramelo

Descendants

• → Catalan: caramel
• → French: caramel (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• “caramelo” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.