Indigenous Contributions: Verbs of Tupi-Guarani Origin

Indigenous languages, especially Tupi-Guarani, have left deep marks on Brazilian Portuguese. Among these contributions, verbs of indigenous origin reveal not only linguistic borrowings but a unique worldview that enriches our way of expressing actions, feelings, and relationships with nature.

The Indigenous Linguistic Heritage

Historical Context

When the Portuguese arrived in Brazil, they encountered hundreds of indigenous languages. Tupi-Guarani, especially Tupinambá, became a lingua franca:

General Language: Used by colonizers and indigenous peoples
Catechesis: Jesuits learned and documented it
Territorial expansion: Bandeirantes spread terms
Cultural integration: Mixed marriages

Why Tupi-Guarani?

Geographic distribution: Atlantic coast
Initial contact: First peoples contacted
Systematization: Jesuit grammars
Practical utility: Local nomenclature

Verbs of Tupi-Guarani Origin

Fully Incorporated Verbs

CUTUCAR (to poke)

Tupi: kutuk
Meaning: To touch with finger, poke lightly
Usage: “Não me cutuque!” (Don’t poke me!)
Derivatives: cutucão, cutucada (poke, jab)

PETISCAR (to snack)

Tupi: petek
Meaning: To eat in small quantities
Evolution: petek → petiscar
Context: Casual eating

SAPECAR (to singe/slap)

Tupi: sapek
Meaning: To singe, burn lightly
Original use: Preparing mate herb
Current use: To give light slaps

PIPOCEAR (to pop up)

Tupi: pipoka
Meaning: To burst like popcorn
Extension: To appear in various places
Example: “Problemas pipocaram” (Problems popped up)

Regional Verbs of Indigenous Origin

PERERECAR (to hop like a frog)

Origin: perereka (frog)
Meaning: To jump like a tree frog
Region: North and Northeast
Usage: Restless behavior

CATUCAR (to pry)

Variant: From cutucar
Regional meaning: To search, investigate
Usage: “Catucar a vida alheia” (To pry into others’ lives)

PETICAR (to tap)

Origin: petỹ (to hit)
Meaning: To hit lightly
Variation: From petiscar

Verbs Formed with Tupi Elements

Hybrid Compositions

ABOCANHAR (to bite/grab)

Tupi: bokã (crooked) + Portuguese
Meaning: To bite, grab with mouth
Semantic evolution: To take a large part

ESCRACHAR (to expose/mock)

Possible Tupi: eskaraxa
Meaning: To expose to ridicule
Modern use: To criticize publicly

EMBURACAR (to hole up)

Tupi: buraka (hole)
Meaning: To put in a hole
Extension: To hide oneself

Verbs with Mixed Roots

Verb	Tupi Element	Meaning
Atiçar	atĩ (tip)	To incite, provoke
Bagunçar	bagasa	To mess up
Escarafunchar	eskarafuña	To rummage, search

Semantic Fields

Nature and Animals

Verbs related to natural environment:

BICAR (to peck)

Origin: Bird behavior
Tupi: Onomatopoeia bik
Usage: Bird action

MIJAR (to urinate - vulgar)

Tupi: mĩj
Meaning: To urinate
Register: Informal

ZUNIR (to buzz)

Tupi: zu-ĩ
Meaning: To make insect noise
Onomatopoeic: Mosquito sound

Food

MOQUEAR (to smoke/grill)

Tupi: mokaẽ
Meaning: To grill on a rack
Technique: Food preservation
Current use: Regionalism

PAPAR (to eat - childish)

Tupi: papa
Meaning: To eat (infantile)
Derivatives: papinha (baby food)

Movements and Actions

CAMINHAR vs. PERAMBULAR (to walk vs. to wander)

Perambular has Tupi influence
Concept of walking aimlessly
Relation to nomadism

COCHILAR (to nap)

Possible Tupi: kochĩ
Meaning: To sleep lightly
Context: Brief rest

Verbs and Indigenous Culture

Unique Concepts

Some verbs express concepts without direct equivalent:

TOCAIAR (to ambush)

Tupi: tokaia
Meaning: To ambush, wait hidden
Context: Hunting technique
Modern use: To wait to surprise

CAÇAR (to hunt)

Tupi influence: Hunting concepts
Associated verbs: Tocaiar (ambush), rastrear (track)
Cultural importance: Survival

CURUMINAR (to act like a child)

Tupi: kurumĩ (boy)
Meaning: To act like a child
Usage: Regional North

CUNHADAR (to court - archaic)

Tupi: kunhã (woman)
Meaning: To date (archaic)
Evolution: Term in disuse

Formation Processes

Denominal Verbs

Tupi nouns → Portuguese verbs:

Piranha → piranhar (to steal)
Toca (burrow) → tocar (many meanings)
Peteca → petecar (to play peteca)

Onomatopoeias

Many Tupi verbs are onomatopoeic:

Piar: Bird sound
Cacarejar: Hen sound
Roncar: Snoring sound

Geographic Distribution

Northern Region

Highest concentration of indigenous verbs:

Amazon-specific verbs
Multiple language influences
Preserved daily use

Other Regions

Region	Preservation	Examples
Northeast	Medium	Xingar, catucar
Center-West	High	Rural terms
Southeast	Low	Diluted urban
South	Low	Some terms

Verbs in Transformation

Neologisms with Indigenous Base

Modern creations using Tupi roots:

Tuitar: From tuí (parrot) + Twitter
Capivariando: Acting calm like a capybara

Resignifications

Verbs that gained new meanings:

Pipocar: From burst → appear multiple
Cutucar: From touch → provoke (social media)

Preservation and Revitalization

Initiatives

Bilingual education: Indigenous schools
Dictionaries: Systematic documentation
Literature: Use in literary works
Media: Programs in indigenous languages

Challenges

Loss of native speakers
Urbanization
Linguistic prejudice
Lack of documentation

Cultural Importance

National Identity

Indigenous verbs:

Mark our difference from European Portuguese
Express local realities
Preserve ancestral knowledge
Enrich expressiveness

Linguistic Biodiversity

Each verb preserves:

Ecological knowledge
Cultural practices
Worldviews
Traditional techniques

Verbs and Environment

Sustainable Actions

Verbs expressing harmonious relationship:

Coivarar: Indigenous agricultural technique
Piracuiar: To fish during spawning season
Sustainable management concepts

Practical Applications

In Education

Valuing linguistic diversity
Teaching history and culture
Environmental awareness
Brazilian identity

In Literature

Regional authenticity
Expressive richness
Cultural preservation
Poetic innovation

In Communication

Unique expressiveness
Descriptive precision
Cultural identity
Stylistic variety

Indigenous Verbs in the Future

Trends

Rediscovery: Renewed interest
Hybridization: New formations
Documentation: Preservation projects
Integration: Formal teaching

Possibilities

Continuous enrichment
New borrowings
Term revitalization
Neological creations

Conclusion

Verbs of indigenous origin are much more than linguistic borrowings – they are windows to understanding Brazil’s formation and the richness of our cultural diversity. Each Tupi-Guarani verb incorporated into Portuguese tells a story of encounters, exchanges, and adaptations. Preserving and valuing this heritage is not just a linguistic matter, but an act of recognizing the fundamental contribution of original peoples to Brazilian identity. When using verbs like cutucar, petiscar, or sapecar, we perpetuate millennial wisdom and keep alive the memory of this land’s first inhabitants.