caralho
Portuguese
Etymology
The etymology is uncertain, but the most plausible source on the basis of both semantics and historical phonology appears to be unattested Vulgar Latin *c(h)araculum, which would have been a Latinized diminutive of Ancient Greek χάραξ (khárax, “stick”).
Another possibility is Late Latin cassus or its diminutive, carassus (“empty”), eventually used to describe a crow's nest on a ship.
Certain cognates include Spanish carajo, Galician carallo and Catalan carall. Attempts to attribute Italian same-meaning cazzo to the same etymon fail on phonological grounds, as the /r/ of carajo (or its absence in cazzo) remains unexplained, and no Latin phonological sequence develops as both /x/ in Spanish and /tts/ in Italian.
Doublet of carago.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /kaˈɾa.ʎu/
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /kaˈɾa.ʎo/
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /kɐˈɾa.ʎu/
Audio (Oporto, Portugal) (file) Audio (USA) (file) - Rhymes: -aʎu
- Hyphenation: ca‧ra‧lho
Noun
caralho m (plural caralhos)