alfaia

English

Etymology

From Portuguese alfaia.

Noun

alfaia (plural alfaias)

1. A Brazilian drum with a membrane made of animal skin.
   • 2015 August 3, Ben Ratliff, “Review: Nação Zumbi Returns to Central Park SummerStage”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     And there was the band’s centerpiece and glory, the interlocking rhythm of a trap-set drummer, a percussionist, and three standing drummers playing the alfaia, the large wooden drum from the African-derived, northeastern Brazilian song-and-dance tradition of maracatu.

Galician

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese alfaia, from Arabic حَاجَة (ḥāja, “necessary thing; valuable thing”) or حِلْيَة (ḥilya, “ornament”). Cognate with Portuguese alfaia and Spanish alhaja.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alˈfaja/ [ɑlˈfa̠.jɐ]
• Rhymes: -aja
• Hyphenation: al‧fa‧ia

Noun

alfaia f (plural alfaias)

1. jewel

   Synonym: xoia

2. worth

   Synonym: valor

3. vessel
   • 1433, Á. Rodríguez González & José Armas Castro (eds.), Minutario notarial de Pontevedra (1433-1435). Santiago de Compostela: Consello da Cultura Galega, page 51:

     prefeas et alfayas de casa

     vessels and other needed things of the home

   Synonym: perfia

Related terms

• alfaiate

 

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “alfaya”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “alfaya”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “alfaia”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “alfaia”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “alfaia”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic الْحَاجَة (al-ḥāja, “utensil”).

Noun

alfaia f (plural alfaias)

1. utensil
2. ornament

Related terms

• alfaiate

Descendants

• Galician: alfaia
• Portuguese: alfaia

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "alfaia"

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese alfaia, from Arabic الحَاجَة (al-ḥāja, “necessary thing; valuable thing”). Compare Galician alfaia and Spanish alhaja.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈfaj.ɐ/ [aʊ̯ˈfaɪ̯.ɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈfaj.ɐ/ [aʊ̯ˈfaɪ̯.ɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /awˈfaj.a/ [aʊ̯ˈfaɪ̯.a]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /alˈfaj.ɐ/ [aɫˈfaj.ɐ]

• Hyphenation: al‧fai‧a

Noun

alfaia f (plural alfaias)

1. utensil

   Synonyms: utensílio, instrumento, ferramenta, aparato

2. ornament

   Synonyms: ornamento, ornato, enfeite, adorno

Related terms

• alfaiate