Dogs

Dogs have owners, cats have staff

Besides Fado, Football and Fatima, Portugal is well-known for its native dogs.
Certainly no lap dogs, but rather working dogs with specific roles in hunting, guarding or herding livestock.

Estrela Mountain Dogs are large hairy dogs, bred as livestock guardians, and indigenous to the Serra da Estrela mountain range in central Portugal They are surprisingly good housedogs, and believed to be one of Portugal’s oldest breeds. Estrelas (‘Stars’) are intelligent, alert and possess a strong sense of duty. In the past these dogs have been used to protect flocks from Iberian wolves, which are themselves a protective species.

Portuguese Sheepdogs are a medium-sized breed of dog of the herding type and one of the indigenous regional dogs of the country. The breed is nicknamed ‘cao macaco’ (monkey dog) for its furry appearance and lively attitude. Their lack of undercoat makes them less resistant to extreme weather as a working dog. In the past the breed was used for herding cows, sheep, goats, and horses in the Serra de Aires in the Alentejo region.

The Portuguese Water Dog, also known as the Algarvian Water Dog, or Portuguese Fishing Dog is a breed originating from the Algarve. They were taught to herd fish into fishermen’s nets, retrieve lost tackle or broken nets, or act as couriers from ship to ship, or ship to shore. In general, they are black but some are brown or white. An intelligent breed, obedient and brave. They have a single-layered coat that doesn’t shed, perfect for those with allergies. The dog was the chosen breed of US President Barack Obama, who had two of them.

Castro Laboreiro dogs – also known as Portuguese Cattle or Watch dogs – were bred for livestock guarding and originate from Castro Laboreiro, a small townin the northern mountains of the country, near the Peneda-Geres National Park. It is a loyal and courageous guard dog. Although devoted and intelligent, it possesses a strong territorial personality. The modern breed is descended from a very old livestock guardians, which worked with livestock herders in the mountains, defending against wolves.

The Podengo or Portuguese Warren Hound – the national sighthound – is a bat-eared dog with almond-shaped eyes and an affinity for game. As a breed, the Podengo is divided into three size categories: small, medium and large. The coat is either short and smooth or long and wiry. They are the result of selective breeding for hunting , particularly rabbits.
In the Middle Ages, hunting dogs in Portugal were collectively known as Podengos de Mostra (‘pointers’) and used to kill rats in sea-going sailing ships.

Rafeiro Alentejano – also known as the Portuguese Mastiff – is a powerfull flock guardian dog originating from the Alentejo region. They come in many colours, but always with white markings. In southern Portugal, they were used as livestock and estate guardian, especially at night. They are calm, protective and independent. A Portuguese dog of this breed – named Bobi – was initially confirmed by Guiness World Records to be the oldest dog ever (nearly 32 years) but after further investigation by veterinary surgeons, the records were annulled.

Enjoy your week          Aproveite a semana      (pic Ptnews, Envato elements, Wiki)




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Words

Trade routes disappear but words remain.

Over the centuries, Portuguese explorers, traders, and colonists have left marks on words used around the world.

Take the word Albino that comes from the Portuguese word albino (‘whitish’). Portuguese explorers coined this term in the 17th-18th centuries to describe persons with an unusually white skin they encountered in Africa. The word spread from Portuguese into Spanish, English and other languages to describe the genetic condition of albinism – the lack of melanin pigmentation in skin, hair, and eyes – in people or animals. 

Cashew comes from the Portuguese caju, which itself was borrowed from the Tupi (the indigenous Brazilian language) word ‘acajú’, referring to the cashew tree and nuts. The tree itself was later introduced by the Portuguese to parts of Africa and Asia.

Caste derives from the Portuguese word casta. Meaning ‘lineage, race or breed’. Portuguese traders used casta in the 16thy century to describe the social divisions they observed in India (particularly in the Hindu community), applying the term already in use for breeds/lineages of animals. The word caste, became the standard term for describing India’s hereditary social hierarchy.

Cobra comes directly from the Portuguese word cobra, which is derived from the Latin ‘colubra’ (meaning snake). The full Portuguese term is actually cobra the capelo – literally ‘snake with a hood’- referring to the spread of the snake’s neck ribs into a broad hood when threatened. The Portuguese encountered these snakes in India and other parts of Asia during their colonial expansions.

Coconut doesn’t sound very exotic until you know where it comes from.  In the past Portuguese sailors called it coco, a word for ‘skull’. Once you notice the three dark holes in the shell, it is difficult to ignore.

The word Dodo is commonly traced to Portuguese doido, meaning ‘fool, silly or stupid’. Portuguese sailors, who were amongst the first Europeans to encounter the flightless bird on the island of Mauritius in the early 1500s, reportedly gave it its name because the dodo showed no fear of humans and seemed clumsy or foolish – it had evolved with no natural predators, so it’s didn’t flee. 

And what about the word Fetish? It derives from the Portugues word feitiço (meaning spell) which traders used to describe sacred or symbolic objects – believed to possess spiritual or magical powers – they encountered in West Africa during the Age of Discovery in the 15th century.

Flamingo comes from the Portuguese flamengo, which traces back to the Provençal word ‘flamenc’ which meant both ‘flame-colored’ and ‘Fleming’ ( a person from Flanders). Flemish people were stereotyped as having ruddy or fair, flame-like complexions, so the word played on both meanings at once. Portuguese sailors encountering the bright pink birds in Africa and the Americas, adopted this name because of their flame-like colouring.

Many people associate Marmalade with Britain but the word comes from the Portuguese word marmelada, a preserve originally made from ‘marmelo’ (quince). The name survived, even as the recipe evolved over time.

Molasses has a similar story. It comes from melaço (‘honey-sweet’) and carried along the trade routes that moved sugar, spices, and slaves along the Atlantic.

In several languages, the word Oranges points back to Portugal.
In Greek ‘portokali’, in Turkish ‘portakal’ and in Arab ‘burtuqāl’.
When oranges began to circulate widely, they were associated with Portuguese traders. For many people the orange fruit was quite simply called ‘Portugal.’

Portuguese tanque means ‘reservoir’, used for water storage. Portuguese colonizers in India used tanque (cistern) to describe large water reservoirs. This usage was picked up by English speakers in colonial India, eventually entering English as Tank, referring to a container for holding liquid.   

Even further away, in Japan, there is Tempura, introduced in the 16th century by Portuguese Jesuit missionaries who abstained from eating beef, pork and poultry during Catholic fasting days in each of the four seasons of the year. Instead, they ate fried vegetables and fish. This was the first contact of the  Japanese with fried food. The name is probably derived from the Portuguese ‘tempero’ (act of seasoning, of adding spice to food).

And finally – as a closing remark – a word pointing to a remarkable phenomenon but without any connection to the Portuguese language whatsoever.
Nüshu – meaning ‘women’s script’ in Chinese – is the only exclusively female writing system in the world that emerged from the marginalisation of women in southern China, passing exclusively between mothers and daughters, and between sisters in Jiangyong, a remote mountainous region in the Hunan province.

Enjoy your week          Aproveite a semana              (pic Wiktionary)















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