Capoeira glossary

abada) white capoeira pants

academia) gym or capoeira school

acarajé) palm oil and prawn pastie pie

aluno) student

Angoleiro) practitioner of capoeira de Angola

apanhar) to be beaten

apelido) nick-name

arraia) stingray

aula) class

Axé) positive energy

bamba) a master of physical sparring and wordplay, a capoeira expert

bantu) group of African tribes/peoples from the north west of Africa

bater) to hit

batizado) the capoeira initiation ceremony, baptism

besouro) beetle

boca) mouth, opening in the gourd of a berimbau

boi) bull

brincadeira) playful game

caiman) small crocodile found in South America

camara) comrades

capoeirista) practioners of capoeira

candomblé) African religion

chamada) call used in the game of capoeira angola, berimbau rhythm to call attention

cintura desprezada) acrobatic exercises to help capoeiristas land on their feet

côco) coconut

contramestre) one level below a master

coqueiro) coconut tree

coração) heart

corda) colored belt awarded to mark advancement in some academies

costas) back (anatomy)

danado) smart

dendé) red palm nut to make palm oil

deus) god

discípulo) disciple, student of a capoeira master

ele/ela) he/she

escravo) slave

eu) I, me

faca) knife

faca de ponta) the point of a knife

facão) machete, large knife

fechado) to be closed, bulletproof

filho/filha) son/daughter

floreios) acrobatic movements

forró) partner dance from the interior of Brazil

folha) seca dry leaves

fome) hunger

força) strength

formatura) graduation ceremony for a new capoeira master

formiga) ant

forte) strong

frente) front

frio) cold

fundamentos) basics, used to describe the philisophical roots of capoeira

galo) rooster

gente) us, we, people

homen) man

hora) hour, time

iaiá, ioiô) terms used by slaves for daughters and sons of the master

irmão/irma) brother/sister

jogador) player of capoeira

jogo) game, a game of capoeira

jacaré) alligator

leve) lightweight

liçao) lesson

ligeiro) nimble, agile, fast

macaco) monkey

macaquinho) little monkey

mãe) mother

malandragem) cunning

malandro) crook or streetwise person

malícia) sneaky, sly, deception, trickery, double-dealing

mandinga) unique style

mandigueiro) sorceror, healer, capoeira player

mangangá) medicine man

mão) hand

mar) sea

marinheiro) sailor

mato) jungle

menino/a) boy/girl

mestre) master

molejo) smooth moves

moeda) coin

morena) dark skinned woman

mulher) woman

muzenza) force of the orixás

não) no

navalha) old fashioned cut-throat/straight razor

negão) strong black man

nego/a) black man/woman

o) the

onça) jaguar

outro) other

Orixás) gods of candomble

pai) father

patuá) amulet worn around the neck for protection against evil and injury

pé) foot

peixe) fish

profesor) teacher

quilombo) fugitive slave community

rabo) tail

raça) race, breed

sabedoria )knowledge

sangue) blood

santo) saint

são) saint

sem) without

senzala) slave house

sertão) plains

seqüência) series of movements learned by players in regional style

sim) yes

sinal) sign

sinhô/ã) boss man/lady

terra) land, earth

você) you

xarél) type of fish from Bahia

xererê) another type of fish from Bahia