to

Meu señor santo Tomé,
tendes dous nomes nun só,
sodes castrón polo mé,
é sodes cán polo tó.

1820, B. A. Fandiño, El Heráclito Español y Demócrito Gallego:

My good sir Santo Tomé:
You have two names in just one,
You are a ram with the "mé"
And a dog with the "tó"

interjection used to call dogs or cattle


ai

From Old Galician-Portuguese ay (attested since the 13ᵗʰ century).

Ai tontiño, porque iñoras
o qu’he mantér casa e vida,
que por ben que estea sortida,
hai faltas a todas horas.
O segundo, que teu pai
pensa com’home de ben,
e así por vergonza ten
unha nora que non trai.
Orasme, sobr’esto hai,
que a dous parizós que teña,
non tendes donde vos veña,
cando ela non colla un mal.

1812, Antonio Benito Fandiño, A Casamenteira:

Oh, silly, because you don't know
what it is to keep house and life,
no matter how well stocked it is,
there's lack at all hours.
Second, your father
thinks like a good man,
and to his shame he has
a daughter-in-law who doesn't bear.
However, on this matter,
with just two childbirths that she has,
you'll be left resourceless,
and that if she doesn't get sick.


home

From Old Galician-Portuguese ome, omẽe, from Latin homō, hominem, from Proto-Italic *hemō, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰm̥mṓ.

-Es o campión do mundo? Contento? -Home!...

-You're the champion of the world? Are you happy? -Man!... [Of course I'm happy, what kind of question is this?]

man! (expresses surprise, or mild annoyance)


ho

Para, ho!

Non o volvo facer! Non ho!

used closing the sentence to bolster the attention of the listener; emphatic


ola

Compare Portuguese olá, Spanish hola, English hello.


ou

Ôu mèu Crego? Seica qués,
que eu vote a lengoa â pastàr?
Catao ben, e despois non
che pese, ò que ágora fás.
Se contra toda concencia
pensache de min tàn màl,
e estou quixòsa, ¿por que
non me has ti de aloumiñar?

1775, María Francisca Isla y Losada, Romance:

Oh, my clergyman? Perchance you want
that I let my tongue free range?
Watch it carefully, or either you'll later
regret what you do now.
If against all conscience
You thought so badly of me
And I'm cranky, why
wouldn't you cherish me?


corno

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese corno, from Latin cornu (“horn”). Cognate with Portuguese corno and Spanish cuerno.


merda

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese merda, from Latin merda, from Proto-Italic *(s)merdā, from Proto-Indo-European *smerd-h₂- (“stench”).


ora

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese ora, a semi-learned borrowing from Latin hōra (“hour”). Doublet of hora.


basta

¡Basta, basta! Vosté é sorteira, tía Suíña. Ben sabe que esas meiguerías son carocas que Dios condena. Peca quen as usa, e peca moito máis quen as espende.

1922, Armando Cotarelo Valledor, Trebón:

«Stop, stop! You a sorceress, aunt Suíña. You know well that those witcheries are blatant lies that God condemns. Whoever uses them sins, and sins even more whoever deals them.»


abur

Attested since 1807. Probably borrowed from Basque agur.

Pois abur hastra a primeira

1807, Ramón Mariño, editor, Segundo diálogo dos esterqueiros:


meu

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese meu, from Latin meus.

Éche o que hai, meu. Hai que roelo

Things are like that, bro. You must face it

Meu! Fixéchelo!


boh

—Éche un gran presidente, non crees? —Boh! Que vai ser!

—He is a great president, don't you think? —Bah! No way!

indicates disdain, contempt, contradiction or incredulity


eis

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese ei, from Arabic هَا (hā, dialectally hê). For the -s, cf. Portuguese eis and obsolete Spanish heis.

Eila tes, noviña do trinque

es'aquí mandereita,
e digo que deijemola endeita.

1671, Gabriel Feixoo, Contenda dos labradores de Caldelas:

Here you have my right hand;
I say: let's leave this task.

Labrador:
ò rio, ò rio co'eles.
eis uns a cabalo doutros.

Farmer:
"Let's we throw them to the river."
"Here they are [Watch them], the ones atop the others."


opa

Onomatopoeic, or either related to English up.

O que se casa con vellas / non sei qué gracia lles topa / cando se sentan: «Ai» / cando se erguen: «Opa»
The one that marries an old woman, I don't know what charm he finds, when she sits down is «Ouch!», when she gets up is «Up!»

19th c, traditional, D. Blanco (ed.), A poesía popular en Galicia 1745-1885. Recopilación, estudio e edición crítica (vol. II), page 153


pobre

pobre! (canonical)
probe (alternative vulgar)

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese pobre, from Latin pauper, pauperem. Cognate with Sicilian pòviru.


de nada

it's nothing, think nothing of it, you're welcome, don't mention it, no worries


cono

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese cono m, from Latin cunnus m. Compare Portuguese cono m and cona f.


canté

Unknown. Attested since the 18th century. Cognate with rural northern Portuguese canté.

Ahi vay esa esmoliña
p'rá à virxen à empregà
que che lla dou de boa mentes;
¡cantè quen poidera mais!

There it goes this little alms,
Apply it to the Virgin
because I give it to her willingly
If only I could give more!


cata

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

nonlemma

Ay Jan cata non te enfermes, nen sentencies con malicia, cata que a yalma perdes.

1594, anonymous author, Entremés dos pastores:

Oh, Xan, look, don't get sick, or sentence with malice; watch out, because you are losing the soul

Dime algùnha còusa dòce
como habes doito, é catá,
que si así no no fazèdes,
me escatìmo, évelo hàs.
Ven sabedes, vaiche bòa!
como estas cousas se fàn,
è madia tendes, senon
eu êime de encabuxar.

Tell me something sweet
As you used to, but beware,
if you don't do it like that
I'll take offence, you'll see.
You know well, it could not be otherwise,
how these things are done,
no doubt about it, or else
I'll get angry

Eu apureime a meter unha tallada de roscón na boca para non ter que brindar con eles por unha causa que se me facía odiosa. Máis dun botoume unha ollada de esguello pero disimulei facendome o distraído. ¡Cata que xa as pagaredes todas xuntas!

2005, Hixinio Puentes, Aguillóns do Ortegal, page 271:

I hurried to put a serving of cake in my mouth, so I don't have to toast with them for a cause that was hateful to me. More than one gazed at me askance, but I dissembled playing the distracted one. Take care, you'll pay them all together!


boas

(interjection) Shortening of bos días (“good morning”), boas tardes (“good afternoon/evening”) and boas noites (“good evening/night”)


chao

Borrowed from Italian ciao (“hello, goodbye”), possibly through Argentinian Spanish. Doublet of escravo and eslavo.


concho

coucho (alternative)
cuncho (alternative)


malia

Malia o dente que come a semente


chau

Borrowed from Italian ciao, from Venetan s-ciao (“slave”).


adeus

From Medieval Latin ad Deum (“to God”). Compare Aragonese adiós, Asturian adiós, Catalan adeu, Dutch aju, English adieu, Extremaduran adiós, French adieu, German tschüss, Greek αντίο (antío), Italian addio, Maltese addiju, Mirandese adius, Occitan adieu, Portuguese adeus, Romanian adio, Serbo-Croatian ади̏о/adȉo, Slovene adȋjo, Spanish adiós.

Agora adeus, adeus
Sabés que me vou
Non chorés agora

Now goodbye, goodbye,
you know I'm going;
Don't you cry just now
cause I'm still here.


ollo

From Old Galician-Portuguese olho, from Vulgar Latin oclus, from Latin oculus. Cognate with Portuguese olho and Spanish ojo.

Ollo ó can!


cona

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese cono m (13th century), from Latin cunnus m. Compare Portuguese cona f.


puxa

Borrowed from Spanish pucha, corruption of puta (“prostitute”).

(colloquial) expresses surprise or admiration


pumba

pumba! (canonical)
pum (alternative)
pun (alternative)

bang (a verbal emulation of a sudden percussive sound)


Xesús

From Old Galician-Portuguese Ihesus, from Latin Iēsūs, from Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs), from Biblical Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (yəhôšuaʿ).

Albino: Deyjame probar si quera
vnha gota a min tamen.
Marta: Pois tendela vara e besta
quen bos quita que bebàs?
Albino: Ay Iasus como me presta.

1707, Salvador Francisco Roel, Entremés ao real e feliz parto da nosa raíña:

Albino: "Let me taste al least
a drop for myself"
Marta: "You have rod and horse,
who's forbidding you of drinking?"
Albino: "Oh, Jesus, it feels good!"


meu Deus

desc

→ Spanish: (slang, Spain) meu Deus, (typo) meus Deus

[ˈmɛʊ̯ ˈðɛʊ̯s]

[ˈmeʊ̯ ˈðɛʊ̯s]


saúde

From Old Galician-Portuguese saude (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin salūtem, accusative singular of salūs (“health”).

gesundheit; bless you (said to someone who has just sneezed)

Don frey Beringel da ordêê dos pregadores, por lla graçia de Deus arçibispo de Santiago, cappellan mayor del Rey et chançeller et notario mayor do reyno de Leon â âs justiças da nosa çidade de Santiago et ao noso pertegeyro da Rocha et ao moordomo que andar no couto de Uama et a qualquer noso procurador et a cada huun de uos a que esta nosa carta for mostrada, saude.

1326, M. Lucas Alvarez & M. J. Justo Martín (eds.), Fontes documentais da Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. Pergameos da serie Bens do Arquivo Histórico Universitario (Anos 1237-1537). Santiago: Consello da Cultura Galega, page 68

Lord friar Berengar of Landorra of the Order of Preachers, by the grace of God archbishop of Santiago, senior chaplain of the King and chancellor and senior notary of the kingdom of Leon, to the ealdormen of our city of Santiago and to our verger of the castle of the Rocha and to the steward of the fiefdom of Bama, and to any of our agents and to each and everyone reading this letter, hail.


fóra

From Old Galician-Portuguese fora, from Latin forās (“outside”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwer- (“door; gate”).

der

go away!; out! (demanding that someone leave)


carai

(mildly vulgar, colloquial, minced oath) rats!


adiante

adiante! (canonical)
adelantre (alternative)
alantre (alternative)

From Old Galician-Portuguese adeante: from a- + diante. Compare Portuguese adiante and Spanish adelante.


carallo

The etymology is unknown, but the most plausible source, on the basis of both semantics and historical phonology, appears to be unattested Latin *c(h)araculum, which would have been a Latinized diminutive of Ancient Greek χάραξ (khárax, “stick”). This also provides a single, phonologically coherent source for the cognates: Portuguese caralho, Spanish carajo and Catalan carall. Attempts to attribute Italian same-meaning cazzo to the same etymon fail on phonological grounds, as the /r/ of carajo (or its absence in cazzo) remains unexplained, and no Latin phonological sequence develops as both /x/ in Spanish and /tts/ in Italian. Otherwise, perhaps related to Breton kalc'h, Welsh cala, from a derivative of Proto-Celtic *kalgā.

unk

unknown

(slang, vulgar) go to hell, piss off, fucking hell, fuck, damn it


benvido

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *bene venītus, presumably a calque of a Frankish term, derived from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“a welcome guest or arrival”), from which many modern Germanic forms descend, such as English welcome. By surface analysis, ben (“well”) + vido (“come”).


benvidos

welcome (greeting; to multiple males or to males and females)


grazas

From the older graças, from Latin gratia, as used in the phrase gratias agere (“to express thanks”).


axiña

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese aginna, agỹa (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria); probably from Latin agīna, from Latin agō (“I do, act”). Cognate with Asturian aína.


Deus o pague

thank God (used to express gratitude or relief.)


madia leva

Provably from mao (“bad”) día (“day”) leva (“he/she carries”).

—O Xoán vive ben. —Madia leva! É rico!

—John lives well! —Of course he lives! He's rich!

of course! (emphatic, frequently ironic)


diaño

diaños! (canonical)
deño (alternative)
diallo (alternative)
dianllo (alternative)

Attested since circa 1536. From Old Galician-Portuguese diabo, earlier diaboo, displacing the collateral forms diabre, diabro and diablo; from Ecclesiastical Latin, Late Latin diabolus (“devil”) (probably borrowed as a semi-learned term), itself from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “slanderer”).

der

damn! (expresses anger, irritation or disappointment)


a cona que te botou

Literally, “the pussy that threw out (ejected) you”.

lit

(vulgar) son of a bitch, holy fuck (literally, "the pussy that threw out (ejected) you"; an insult said out of anger)


entón

From Old Galician-Portuguese enton, from Vulgar Latin *in tunc, from Latin in + tunc (“then”). Cognate to Portuguese então and, mostly, to Spanish entonces as well.

entom (alternative)
então (alternative)
antón (alternative)
entoas (alternative)
entonces (alternative)
entonzas (alternative)
entuás (alternative)
estonces (alternative)

Entón, que foi?

so (used after a pause for thought to introduce a new topic, question or story)


arre demo

Blend of arre (“giddy up”) + arreda (“go away”) + arrenégote (“I reject you”), demo (“demon; Devil”): "Go away, Devil!".

blend

(idiomatic, informal) damn (expression of terror, awe, surprise)


e logo

—Sabes toca-la gaita? —E logo!

Dou you know how to play the bagpipe? — Of course!

(idiomatic) of course; indicates enthusiastic agreement


arre carallo

(idiomatic, vulgar) holy shit (expression of surprise)


carafio

«¡Ai un gallego!» dirán os homes / I as mullerciñas da pobración / E ti diráslles: «Sepia o que o pense / Qu'un galleguiño d'eiquí d'Ourense / A moita honra , carafio, son»

1875, V. Lamas Carbaja, Espiñas, follas e frores:

«Ouch! A Galician!», will say men and women of the locality; and you'll say to them: «Let them know to the thinking ones, that a Galician, from here from Ourense, a great honour, Gosh, I am.»

(minced oath) a mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm as to be put in place of carallo


ende mal

endemal (alternative)
inda mal (alternative)

Endemal! non falás rouco,
mais eu à tanto desfacho,
(como dixo ô ôutro) a macho
que hè lerdo, arrieiro louco.
Por moito que eu malle, hè pouco;
que a quen do principio aò cabo,
sin fazer caso do crabo,
tàs peras tira meu frade,
conven (xiquera à semade)
que lle zorreguen ô rabo.

c. 1771, anonymous, Rosario Álvarez, Ernesto González, editors, Décima xiringatoria:

Alas! you don't speak rough,
but I, to such impertinence,
as they say, to dumb mule,
mad muleteer.
No matter how much I strike, is not enough;
because to whom, beginning to end,
not paying attention to the nail,
your pears drop, my friar,
it is advisable (at least summarily)
that they whip their tail


vaiche boa

vaiche boa ! (canonical)
érache boa (alternative)
vaiche boa Vilaboa (alternative)

From ir boa (“a long time ago”), so, more or less, "since forever!".

Disque é moi espilido; vaiche boa!

"Es doutor?!" "Vaiche boa!"

"Are you a doctor?!" "Of course! / Since forever!"

Dime algùnha còusa dòce
como habes doito, é catá,
que si así no no fazèdes,
me escatìmo, é velo hàs.
Ven sabedes, vaiche bòa!
como estas cousas se fàn,
è madia tendes, senon
eu êime de encabuxar.

Tell me something sweet
As you use to, but beware,
if you don't do it like that
I'll take offence, you'll see.
You know well, of course!
how these things are done,
no doubt about it or else
I'll go mad.

(idiomatic) of course!; since forever!; frequently ironic, so discrediting the right meaning: no way!


dou ao demo

[ˈdow ɔˈðɛmʊ]

Cregos, frades, pegas e choyas, do a demo tas quatro joyas (proverb)

1555, Hernán Núñez, editor, Refranes o proverbios en romance:

Priests, friars, magpies and choughs, damned be these four jewels


alá vai

From alá (“there”) vai (“he/she/it goes”).

Virés acò meu Dieguiño
cando ò tempo milloràr,
porqe si escorrega á Besta
è esbarroufàs, alabay.

You'll come here my little Diego
when the weather improves
because if the mount slips
and you sprawl, there it goes!

(idiomatic) "and there it goes"; used to express a sudden event with, usually, negative outcome


ende ben

From Old Galician-Portuguese ende ben (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria).

Endebén: fólgome que estea alegre agora, pois cando saéu daquí, noas lebaba todas consigo.

1820, anonymous author, Segunda tertulia na Quintana:

Thank goodness. I congratulate myself on he feeling merry now, because when he left here, he was not sure about the outcome.


boas noites

good evening (used as a greeting in the evening)

good night (a farewell said in the evening or before going to sleep)


boas tardes

good afternoon (used as a greeting in the afternoon (the part of the day from noon or lunchtime until sunset, evening, or suppertime or 6pm))

good evening (used as a greeting in the evening (the time of the day between the approximate time of midwinter dusk and midnight; the period after the end of regular office working hours))


non tal

— Vale, pois unha vez eran un inglés, un holandés e mais un gallego.
— Non é así. É así: unha vez eran un inglés, un francés e un gallego.
— Non tal. No que eu digo era un holandés. Eran unha vez un inglés, un holandés e un gallego. E vai e di un deles ...

"Ok, so... Once upon a time there were an Englishman, a Dutch and a Galician."
"It's not like that. It is: once upon a time there were an Englishman, a Frenchman and a Galician."
"No way! In the one I say it was a Dutch. Once upon a time there were an Englishman, a Dutch and a Galician. And one of them said ..."


diola

Euphemism (or minced oath) for Deus (“God”). First seen in 1836 as pardiola, from por Deus, "by God".


albízaras

[alˈβiθɐɾɐs]

From Old Galician-Portuguese alvyssara, from Andalusian Arabic البِشَرَة (al-bišara), from Arabic بُشْرَى (bušrā). Cognate with Portuguese alvíssaras and Spanish albricias.

Albíxiras, pobre xente,
pois voso pai un fatelo
ten que lle chaman capelo

1816, anonymous author, Louvores do cardeal Quevedo:

Rejoice, poor people,
because your father a garment
has that they call galero [your bishop has been created cardinal]


tou tou rabela

Attested during the 19th century. Onomatopoeic + rabela (“plough' stilt”).


más fadas te faden

Attested since circa 1750. Literally, “evil fairies jinx you”.


pobriño

From pobre (“poor”) + -iño, diminutive/affective suffix.


non hai fallo

—O carro pode estar listo á mañá? —Non hai fallo.

"Can you ready the car by tomorrow morning?" "No problem."


benia

Contraction of ben + haia, "may they have good".

bénea nai que o pareu

1836, anonymous author, Diálogo 2º na Alameda:

God bless the mother who gave him birth!


feliz aniversario

happy birthday (good wishes for birthday)


graciñas

From grazas + -iña, a diminutive/affective suffix.


aque

From Old Galician-Portuguese aque (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), from Latin ecce.

Aque aqui o que tu chamasche.

1390, J. L. Pensado Tomé, editor, Os Miragres de Santiago, Madrid: C.S.I.C., page 211:

Behold, here it is the one you summoned.


non hai de que

think nothing of it, you're welcome, don't mention it, no worries


velaí

From ve (“see”) la (“her”) aí (“there”).


velaquí

From ve (“see”) la (“her”) aquí (“here”).


par Deus

par Deus ! (canonical)
pardeus (alternative)


por Deus

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese por Deus.

inh+

pardez (alternative)
par Deus (alternative)


vaites

From vaite "get out" (commanding a person to leave), and -s, which characterises some adverbs.

Os ricos non queren máis impostos, vaites!

Rich people don't want more taxes, imagine that!

who would have thought it
who would have thought it

(colloquial, sometimes sarcastic) get away! get out! who would have thought it? Indicates disbelief or, more frequently, false disbelief


caracha

[kɑˈɾa̠.t͡ʃɐ]

An euphemism of carallo. Compare Portuguese caracha.

gee, gosh, shucks, blimey, darn (an expression of shock, surprise or anger)