Re: Language naming terminology

On: Wed, 23 Sep 1998 10:49:49 -0400
John Cowan wrote:
=3d---------=3d---------=3d---------=3d---------=3d
> Pablo Flores scripsisset:
>
> > 'Brasil' comes from the same root
> > as 'brasa' (lit piece of coal, burnt wood reduced to carbon; what's the
> > English word?).
>
> "Charcoal" ("char" is a verb meaning to partially burn).
> But there may also have been an influence from the mythical Irish
> land of Hy Braseail (sp?), which was thought to lie in the Atlantic.
        I'm pretty sure there's no influence from the Irish myth.
        Brazilians are called "brasileiros" in portugese (not
brasilanos/brasilenses, as it was supposed to be). "eiro" is a suffix
for "worker", so "brasileiros" =3d the ones who work [with] pau-brasil.
        Pau-brasil (brasil-wood) was the most important export product
>from the country that time.
        This, and the fact that I've been taught so for all my life,
leads me to think the "brasa" origin is the right one.

        []'s

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