cábula

Portuguese

FWOTD – 29 July 2024

Etymology

Uncertain. Possibly from Catalan càbala (“plot, intrigue”). Compare Spanish cábula.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈka.bu.lɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈka.bu.lɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈka.bu.la/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈka.bu.lɐ/ [ˈka.βu.lɐ]

• Rhymes: -abulɐ
• Hyphenation: cá‧bu‧la

Noun

cábula f (plural cábulas)

1. (Portugal) cheat sheet (notes used to assist on a test)

   Synonym: (Brazil) cola

2. somebody who is cunning or deceitful
   • 1890, Aluísio Azevedo, O cortiço‎^[1]:

     – Quê? Que não quero mais saber dele? Esta que aqui está nunca mais fará vida com semelhante cábula! Juro por esta luz!

     – What? That I don't want to know about him anymore? This one here will never have a life with such a deceitful person again! I swear by this light!

3. (Brazil, informal) bad luck
   • 1910, João do Rio, Dentro da noite‎^[2]:

     A cábula, a má sorte, a guigne perseguiam-no, e, pendido ao meu braço o miserável soluçava: – «Havemos de melhorar, empreste-me algum. Estou sem níquel!».

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• cabular
• cabuloso

 

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkabula/ [ˈka.β̞u.la]
• Rhymes: -abula
• Syllabification: cá‧bu‧la

Noun

cábula m or f by sense (plural cábulas)

1. (Mexico, colloquial) joking, mischievous person; bully (doing pranks)

   Synonyms: bravucón, carrilla, malhora