vacaloura

See also: vaca-loura

Galician

A male vacaloura

Alternative forms

• vacaloira

Etymology

Apparently a composite of vaca (“cow”) + loura (in the past, "dark"); so either "dark cow" or perhaps a folk etymology of an older composite pre-Latin word. Cognate with Portuguese vacaloura and Asturian vacalloria.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bakaˈlowɾa̝/

Noun

vacaloura f (plural vacalouras)

1. stag beetle (Lucanus cervus, a large species of beetle)

   Synonyms: carouca, cornetán, escornabois

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “vacaloura”, 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), “vacaloura”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “vacaloura”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• vaca-loura

Noun

vacaloura f (plural vacalouras)

1. stag beetle (Lucanus cervus, a large species of beetle)