alface

Portuguese

Alternative forms

Etymology

Etymology tree
Sumerian 𒄭𒊬bor.?
Akkadian ḫassūder.
Arabic خَسّ (ḵass)bor.
Old Galician-Portuguese alfaça
Portuguese alface

    Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese alfaça, from Arabic الْخَسّ (al-ḵass). First attested in c. 16th century.[1] Cognate with Galician alfaza and Maltese ħass.

    Pronunciation

     
    • (Portugal) IPA(key): /alˈfa.sɨ/ [aɫˈfa.sɨ]

    • Audio (Portugal):(file)
    • Rhymes: -asi, -asɨ
    • Hyphenation: al‧fa‧ce

    Noun

    alface f or (nonstandard) m (plural alfaces, diminutive alfacinha or alfacezinha)

    1. lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
      Synonyms: leituga, salada
    2. (by extension) any plant in the genus Lactuca

    Usage notes

    • The gender of this term is typically feminine. In colloquial use, the masculine may be used when referring to an individual plant or head.

    Derived terms

    • alfaçal
    • alface-batávia
    • alface-brava
    • alface-brava-do-rio
    • alface-crespa
    • alface-de-cordeiro
    • alface-de-creta
    • alface-de-porco
    • alface-do-campo
    • alface-do-mar
    • alface-do-monte
    • alface-dos-calcários
    • alface-dos-rios
    • alface-repolhuda
    • alface-romana
    • alfacezinha (diminutive)
    • alfacinha (diminutive)
    • estar fresco como uma alface, estar fresco que nem uma alface

    References

    1. ^ Machado, José Pedro (1995), “Alface”, in Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa [Etymological dictionary of the Portuguese language] (in Portuguese), 7 edition, volume I (A–B), Lisboa: Livros Horizonte, →ISBN, page 189

    Further reading

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