The German Element in Brazil - Part 4
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Part 4

lancha....... lanche...... barge.

larancha..... laranche.... orange.

mula......... mule........ mule.

persianna.... persianne... Venetian-blind.

picada....... picade...... lane (through a forest).

pimenta...... pimente..... pepper.

pipa......... pipe........ barrel, tun.

roca......... rosse....... clearing (of a forest).

sanga........ sange....... ditch.

tolda........ tolde....... cover, hood (of a wagon).

traca........ trace....... track, design.

venda........ vende....... inn, store.

C. Change of gender in nouns.

1) Masculine to feminine, e.g.,

_Brazilian_ _Brazilian_ _Portuguese._ _German._ _English._

barranco _m._ barranke _f._ slope.

cabresto _m._ cabreste _f._ halter.

cachimbo _m._ kaschimbe _f._ tobacco-pipe.

camarote _m._ camarote _f._ box (in a theater).

cangalho _m._ cangalhe _f._ packsaddle.

charuto _m._. charute _f._. cigar.

farelo _m._.. farelle _f._. bran.

hiate _m._... jatte _f._... yacht.

portreiro _m._ portreere _f._ pasture-ground.

rio _m._..... rio _f._.....

(rarely _m._) stream, river.

2) Feminine to masculine, e.g.,

_Brazilian_ _Brazilian_ _Portuguese._ _German._ _English._

cachaca _f._. cacha.s.s _m._ gin, brandy (of sugar-cane).

troca _f._... troc _m._... change (of money).

3) Masculine to neuter, e.g.,

_Brazilian_ _Brazilian_ _Portuguese._ _German._ _English._

doce _m._.... doss _n._... candy, confectionery.

fosforo _m._. fosforo _n._ match.

tatu _m._.... tatu _n._... armadillo.

xarque _m._.. xarque _n._. jerked beef.

4) Feminine to neuter, e.g.,

_Brazilian_ _Brazilian_ _Portuguese._ _German._ _English._

canoa _f._... kanoe _n._.. monoxylon, dugout.

farinha _f._. farin _n._.. flour.

From the above examples it will be observed that the gender of the Brazilian German noun is, where there has been a change from that of the original Brazilian Portuguese, as a rule, the same as that of the High German word replaced, e.g.,

_Brazilian German._ _High German._

barranke _f._........ Boschung_f._ cacha.s.s _m._......... Schnaps _m._ camarote _f._........ Theaterloge _f._ charute _f._......... Zigarre _f._ doss _n._............ Konfekt _n._ farelle _f._......... Kleie _f._ farin _n._........... Mehl _n._ fosforon _n._........ Streichholz_n._ kaschimbe _f._....... Tabakspfeife _f._ portreere _f._....... Weide _m._ troc _m._............ Wechsel _m._

D. Nouns of mixed origin are quite frequent, e.g.,

_Brazilian German._ _English._

aboboramus........... stewed (and mashed) pumpkin.

korbgarrafo......... demijohn.

miljekolben.......... cob (of corn).

mesclahosen.......... trousers (striped).

ochsencarrete........ ox-cart palhazigarrette...... cigarette (with cornhusk wrapper).

polizeidelegado...... inspector of police.

puschochse........... draught-ox.

rocewirtschaft....... agriculture, farming.

sellofiskal.......... revenue agent.

vendaschuld.......... drinking-score, debt for drink.

II. Verbs.

Brazilian German verbs are commonly formed by adding a weak ending, _'-en'_ or _'-ieren'_ to the Portuguese stem, e.g.,

_Portuguese._ _Brazilian German._ _English._

amolar......... amolieren.......... to grind, sharpen.

capinar........ capinen............ to weed.

cobrar......... cobrieren.......... to cash, take in (money), lacar ......... la.s.sen............. to throw the la.s.so.

puxar.......... puschen, p.u.s.s.en.... to pull.

repousar....... posen.............. to rest.

requerer....... rekerieren......... to request.

rocar.......... rossieren.......... to clear of weeds.

sellar......... sellieren.......... to stamp.

tocar.......... tocken............. to beat, strike.

trocar......... trocken............ to change (money etc.).

In p.r.o.nunciation the Brazilian German differs still more from the Portuguese than the printed forms would indicate. The main additional differences in this case are the following:

1) The noun ending '_-o'_ has the value of _'-ong'_ instead of the Portuguese sound represented by _'-o.'_ Thus, by phonetic spelling we would have, e.g.,

_Brazilian German._ _Portuguese._