List of Brazil state name etymologies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Most of Brazilian state names are based on native indigenous (often Tupi-Guarani) placenames, while others were given by Portuguese and other European colonists.
See also: States of Brazil
- Acre - from acre, a unit for territorial measurement.
- Alagoas - from alagoa, a flooded field or swamp.
- Amapá - from Aruak amapá, "the land in the end".
- Amazonas - after the Amazon river, which by its turn was baptized such by Spanish explorers who heard rumors that Amazons (female mounted warriors) guarded the legendary city of Eldorado in the middle of the forest.
- Bahia - from bahia, the ancient Portuguese spelling of baía, that is, bay or harbor. The actual name of the colonial province was Bahia de Todos os Santos (All Saints Bay), for it was discovered in November 1st, All Saints Day.
- Ceará - from Tupi sy ara (mother of the day) because it is a sunny land.
- Espírito Santo - literally, Portuguese for "Holy Spirit". The Iberian colonists were used to dedicate their colonies to Catholic entities.
- Goiás - from the name of a long-extinct but once famous native people.
- Maranhão -
- Mato Grosso - literally, Portuguese for "thick grass", or else "dense woods".
- Mato Grosso do Sul - seceeded from the former in 1975, as its Southern (and wealthiest) portion.
- Minas Gerais - literally, Portuguese for "General Mines". The province was originally part of São Paulo, but from the early 18th century on, colonists found out gold, diamond, and gems on its territory. Therefore, the Portuguese Crown strategically separated the mining territory and placed it under its direct control, as an immense mining district of several products (then, "general mines").
- Pará - from Tupi-Guarani pará (river). Probably called such because of the estuary of the Amazon river.
- Paraíba - from Tupi pará (river) + yba[ka] (sky), probably meaning "Blue Sky".
- Paraná - from Tupi paranã (sea).
- Pernambuco - from Tupi paranã (sea) mbuka (hollow), referring to the reefs that lie off the coast.
- Piauí -
- Rio de Janeiro - literally, Portuguese for "River of January". The harbor where the city was founded was discovered in January 1st, 1502, and mistaken for the mouth of a river. The state was named after the city, now its capital and formerly capital of the nation.
- Rio Grande do Norte - literally, Portuguese for "Great River of the North".
- Rio Grande do Sul - literally, Portuguese for "Great River of the South". The first important settlement there, the town of Rio Grande, was probably called such because of the Patos Lagoon, mistaken for a river for its long and narrow shape.
- Rondônia - after Marshal Cândido Rondon, explorer of the region.
- Roraima - from Yanomami roro imã, which means, according to some sources, "thundering mountain".
- Santa Catarina - after St. Catherine, a saint praised by both Portuguese and Spanish, who held the land for nearly 200 years.
- São Paulo - after the Jesuit monastery called São Paulo de Piratininga (St. Paul of Piratininga), built to christianize native peoples. The state was named after the city, its capital.
- Sergipe - after the name of an indian chief.
- Tocantins - from Tupi tukan (toucano, a South American bird) tinga (white), or white toucan.
- Distrito Federal - literally, "Federal District". Until 1934, the municipal territory of the national capital was called either Município Neutro (Neutral Municipality), Corte Imperial (Imperial Court, from 1822 to 1889) or Capital Federal (Federal Capital, from 1889 to 1934).
