brejo

Portuguese

Etymology

Possibly from Vulgar Latin *bragius, from Ancient Greek βράγος (brágos, “marsh, shallows”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“to dig, bore”); compare Albanian bërrakë.

Or, from Old Portuguese brejo, from Proto-Celtic *bracum (“swamp”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”).

Pronunciation

Noun

brejo m (plural brejos)

  1. marsh, swamp
    Synonyms: pântano, paul, breja
  2. (Northeast Brazil) a usually fertile terrain where rivers are more or less permanent
  3. (Brazil, Maranhão) a low region with springs
  4. (Brazil, Bahia) a rice plantation
  5. (figuratively) a chilly and windy place

Derived terms

References
  • Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill
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