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Much more than the valuable wood that gave a country its name, an ancient profession ended up giving its name to an entire people. Discover how a simple colonial commercial activity shaped the name and national identity that we carry to this day.
Unlike many nationalities that follow a linguistic pattern based on geographical origin, the term “Brazilian” did not arise for that purpose.
The word, which today represents the national identity of more than 200 million people, has its roots in a craft from the colonial period — and not in a classification of belonging to the territory.
The term “Brazilian” originally referred to traders of brazilwood, the precious wood that marked the beginning of Portuguese exploration in the territory we now call Brazil.
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According to historical records, During the 16th century, the Portuguese used the suffix “-eiro” to indicate professions and commercial activities.
Just as the “blacksmith” worked with iron, the “Brazilian” was the one who explored or sold brazilwood, a tree native to the Atlantic Forest.
National name was born from a profession
Unlike what happens with other nationalities — such as French, Japanese, Portuguese, Angolan or Peruvian —, the name “Brazilian” does not follow the logic of geographical origin., which would give rise to terms such as “Brazilian” or “Brazilian”, used in other languages.
The suffix “-eiro”, common in Portuguese to indicate professions, ended up becoming fixed as the designation of people born in Brazil.
This occurred mainly from the 17th century onwards, when the term began to be used more frequently by chroniclers and religious figures.
One of the main people responsible for this change was the friar and historian Vincent of the Savior, author of the work history of Brazil, written between 1627 and 1628.
He was one of the first to use the term “Brazilian” not to identify timber traders, but rather to refer to individuals born in Brazilian territory.
Why not “Brazilian”?
The term “Brazilian” was occasionally used by foreigners, especially in languages such as Spanish (“Brazilian”) or Italian (“Brazilian”), following the most common pattern among nationalities.
However, this term never became popular among the inhabitants of Brazil.
As linguists and historians of the Portuguese language explain, the language evolves with popular use — and it was the people, with their oral and written repetition, who solidified “Brazilian” as a synonym for nationality.
Thus, terms such as “brasiliense”, which today is used exclusively to designate someone born in Brasília, have not replaced the more popular and consolidated form.
We also pack any the prestige and strength of oral culture in colonial Brazil contributed to the establishment of this unusual term for nationality standards.
Over the centuries, the initial association with the exploitation of brazilwood was lost, and the word took on a new meaning.
The tree that named the country
The connection between Brazil and brazilwood is so deep that the country ended up inheriting the tree's name — and not the other way around.
Brazilwood (scientific name Paubrasilia echinata) is a tree native to the Atlantic Forest, with valuable reddish wood, widely used for the production of dyes in Europe.
At the beginning of the colonial period, brazilwood was the main product exploited by the Portuguese., which led to the territory's coast being called “Land of Brazil” or “Land of Pau-Brasil”.
The name ended up being consolidated as that of the country itself.
So the sequence was more or less this: The tree gave its name to the territory and, later, the tree traders were called “Brazilians”.
Over time, this term came to identify the people who were born here.
Influence of the Portuguese language
The formation of words in Portuguese has roots in Latin, and the suffix “-eiro” comes from the Latin “-arius”, which was already used in Antiquity to designate professions or occupations.
Therefore, in modern Portuguese, we have words like baker, engineer, sailor, gardener and bricklayer.
According to linguist Evanildo Bechara, from the Brazilian Academy of Letters, “Brazilian” is one of the few nationalities in Portuguese that escape the rule and are constructed with this suffix.
The majority, such as French (from France), Argentinian (from Argentina) and Canadian (from Canada), follow other training models.
International curiosity
In several foreign languages, the name given to the people of Brazil is not “Brazilian”, but rather a variation of “Brazilian”.
This is the case of Italian (Brazilian), from Spanish (Brazilian ou Brazilian) and English (Brazilian).
This shows that, At an international level, the linguistic standard usually follows the geographical origin of the country.
Brazilian Portuguese, on the other hand, created an exception that became the rule — and one that carries a much more curious history than most people imagine.
A name with deep roots
The fact that the name of a people originated from a profession linked to colonial exploration is a rare case in the history of linguistics.
And more than that: it is a living reminder of the economic origins of Portuguese colonization and the importance of brazilwood in this process.
Today, the term “Brazilian” is completely dissociated from its professional origin, and has become a symbol of nationality, cultural identity and pride for millions.
Even so, knowing the trajectory of this word allows us to understand how language is shaped by economic, historical and social interests, and how everyday expressions carry centuries of history in just a few syllables.
Did you know that the name “Brazilian” had its roots in a colonial profession? Do you know of other everyday words that have changed their meaning over time? Share your opinion in the comments!
