A Glossary of Brazilian Words

batuque: a dance of African origin accompanied by percussion instruments.

caboclo: a Brazilian Indian or a person of Indian-white stock; also, a rural laborer or hillbilly. candomblé: an A fro-Brazilian fetish cult (see macumba). Carioca: pertaining to the city of Rio de Janeiro.chôro: originally a serenade played by street musicians. conto: one thousand milréis, or one thousand cruzeiros. One conto was worth approximately $280 before 1920, $100 in the mid-twenties, $50 during World War II. Its value is about $15 on the free market today. cruzeiro: the present unit of currency (replacing the milréis).

gaúcho: pertaining to the state of Rio Grande do Sul. guerrilheiro: one who takes part in irregular warfare. macumba: a fetish ceremony of African origin with Christian influence, featuring music and dance. maxixe: a syncopated, urban dance. marcha de rancho: a gay one-step popular at Carnival. maté: an herb tea, popular in Southern Latin America. mestiço: a person of mixed blood. milréis: see cruzeiro, above.

Mineiro: pertaining to the state of Minas Gerais. Paulista: pertaining to or native of the state of São Paulo. samba: the most popular Carnival dance today. saudade: a gentle nostalgia or longing for absent persons or things. seresta: a serenade.

sertanejo: the common man of the sertão. sertão (plural sertdes): the backlands; often signifying the semi-arid Northeast.