bai

From Portuguese vai (the third-person singular of ir (to go).


sal

Inherited from Portuguese sal, from Old Galician-Portuguese sal, from Latin salem. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole sal.


tres

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *tréyes
Proto-Italic *trēs
Latin trēs
Old Galician-Portuguese tres
Portuguese trêsder.
Kabuverdianu tres
From Portuguese três.


misa

mass (religion: celebration of the Eucharist)


a

The first letter of the Kabuverdianu alphabet, written in the Latin script.


lagu

From Portuguese lago. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole lagua.


aes

From Portuguese eles and Portuguese este.


gelu

From Portuguese gelo. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole djelu.


Praia

(Santiago) Praia (the capital city of Cape Verde)

(Santiago) Praia (a municipality of Cape Verde)


keli

Originally "ke-li".
From "kel" Portuguese aquilo ("this") + "li".


polpa

From Portuguese polpa in the meaning of "flesh".


avisa

From Portuguese avisar in the meaning of "notify".


impura

From Portuguese empurrar. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole mpura.


dorada

Coryphaena hippurus
Coryphaena hippurus#Translingual


spremi

From Portuguese espremer. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole pirmi.


galinha

Inherited from Portuguese galinha, from Old Galician-Portuguese galinha, from Latin gallīna.


pêxi

From Portuguese peixe, from Old Galician-Portuguese pexe, from Latin piscis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peysk-.


boton

From Portuguese botão, from Old French boton, from bouter (“to strike; to push, to thrust”), of Germanic origin.


barbu

(Sotavento) Lesser African threadfin (Galeoides decadactylus)


anhos

From Portuguese aos senhores (literally “to the gentlemen”).


gudja

agujon needlefish, Tylosurus acus rafale


skama

(Sotavento) to scale (remove the scales from a fish)


dedu

From Portuguese dedo.
Cognate with Nheengatu dedu.


agresivu

(Sotavento) aggressive, violent, forceful


bóia

a float (life buoy, or similar floating device)


mára

From Portuguese amarrar.
The Portuguese word comes from Dutch aanmeren.


sodade

From Portuguese saudade, from Old Galician-Portuguese soydade, from Latin sōlitātem (“solitude”).

The feeling of missing something or someone.


kóbra

From Portuguese cobra (“snake”), from Old Galician-Portuguese coobra, from Latin colubra.


diskabresta

From Portuguese descabrestar, alternative form of desencabrestar (“to take off a halter, to lose control”), from cabresto (“halter”).


tabanka

a traditional cultural performance of Cape Verde, where the theft and recovery of a saint (represented by a flag) is staged as a parade accompanied by music


talóti

the part of the manioc plant near the roots, used as pig fodder


sunkuenta

(Santiago) fifty, representing the number "50"


kuátusentus

(Santiago) four hundred, representing the number "400"


kinhentus

(Santiago) five hundred, representing the number "500"


treizi

(Santiago) thirteen, representing the number "13"


trezentus

(Santiago) three hundred, representing the number "300"


sésta

From Sanskrit, From Latin sixtus, and Portuguese sexta.

(Santiago) six, representing the number "6"


bodeka

(Sotavento) (when it comes to goats) to sire


kuárta

(Santiago) four, representing the number "4"


kalbisera

Adansonia digitata
Adansonia digitata#Translingual

(Santiago) baobab (tree or fruit) - Adansonia digitata


gargalexa

From Portuguese gargarejar (“to gargle”).


kudjerom

From Portuguese colherão, irregular augmentative of colher (“spoon”).


gornisi

From Portuguese guarnecer garnish, to coat.


dibinhu

From Portuguese adivinha guess, guess what.


berifika

From Portuguese verificar to verify, verify.


sabóla

Inherited from Portuguese cebola (“onion”).


duzentus

(Santiago) two hundred, representing the number "200"


abiza

From Portuguese avisar, advice, warn, to warn, tell, to tell.


Mindelu

(Sotavento) Mindelo (a city in São Vicente, Cape Verde)


Somada

(Santiago, São Vicente) Assomada (a city on Sotavento island, Cape Verde; seat of the municipality of Santa Catarina)


Sidadi Bedja

(Santiago) Cidade Velha (a city on Santiago island, Cape Verde; the oldest settlement and former capital of Cape Verde)


Tarrafal

(Santiago, São Vicente) Tarrafal (a city in northern Santiago, Cape Verde; seat of the municipality of Tarrafal)


kafanhotu

From Portuguese gafanhoto (“grasshopper”).


prufisom

From Portuguese profissão (“profession”).


fereru

From Portuguese ferreiro (“blacksmith”).


friu

Inherited from Portuguese frio. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole friu.


kabelu

Inherited from Portuguese cabelo. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole kabelu.


fidju

From Portuguese filho. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole fidju.


kabesa

Inherited from Portuguese cabeça. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole kabesa.


afiu

(Sotavento) continuously, unceasingly, uninterruptedly.


alekrin

Salvia rosmarinus
Salvia rosmarinus#Translingual

Rosmarinus officinalis
Rosmarinus officinalis#Translingual

(Sotavento) rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, syn. Rosmarinus officinalis)


asnera

(Sotavento) nonsense; madness; error; mistake


atxa

(Sotavento) to find, discover, encounter


kriolu

Cape Verdean Creole, Kabuverdianu (language)


kriolu

Cape Verdean (relating to people, language, or culture of Cape Verde)


tubaron

(Barlavento) blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)


nton

Dja dura ki pesoas sta ta pâpia di fin di mundu, má ti inda el ka ben! Nton, fin di mundu ta ben mê ô el é un ideia inventadu?

2021, “Fin di mundu sta kuazi ta txiga?”, in Jehovah's Witnesses:


janeru

From Portuguese janeiro. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole janeru.


kusé

From "ku" Portuguese que "what" + "sé" Portuguese ser "is".


fódja

From Portuguese folha. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole fodja.


tcheu

Inherited from Portuguese cheio. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole tciu.


tchifri

From Portuguese chifre. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole tcifri.


meninu

Inherited from Portuguese menino. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole mininu.


katchor

Inherited from Portuguese cachorro. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole katcur.


tchupa

Inherited from Portuguese chupar. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole tcupa.


da folgu

From Portuguese folegar and Portuguese tomar fôlego.


kenha

From "ken" Portuguese quem "who" + "ha" Portuguese haver "has".


têm medu

Têm means "to have" and comes from Portuguese ter.
Medu means "the fear" and comes from Portuguese medo.


tchera

Inherited from Portuguese cheirar, from Old Galician-Portuguese cheirar. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole tcera.


sinza

From Portuguese cinza. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole sinsa.


intcha

Inherited from Portuguese inchar. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole intca.


burmedju

From Portuguese vermelho. Compare Spanish bermejo.


tchuva

Inherited from Portuguese chuva. Compare Guinea-Bissau Creole tcuba.


bedju

From Portuguese velho.
Compare Spanish viejo.


sintadu

From Portuguese sentado. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole sintadu.


djinda

From Portuguese juntar. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole djunda.


djuga

From Portuguese jogar. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole djuga.


kaminhu

From Portuguese caminho. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole kaminhu.


antigu

From Portuguese antigo. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole antigu.


txuba

From Portuguese chuva. Cognate with Guinea-Bissau Creole tcuba.


kabálu

From Portuguese cavalo, from Latin caballus.


tibaron

(Sotavento) Blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus


kamisa

From Portuguese camisa (“shirt”), from Old Galician-Portuguese camisa (“shirt”), from Late Latin camisia (“shirt”), from Transalpine Gaulish, of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *hamiþiją (“clothes, shirt, skirt”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱam- (“cover, clothes”).


Mindel

(Barlavento) Mindelo (a city in São Vicente, Cape Verde)


txurise

(Barlavento) A Portuguese spiced sausage.


txorís

(Sotavento) A Portuguese spiced sausage.


bórbe

(Barlavento) Lesser African threadfin (Galeoides decadactylus)


skamá

(Barlavento) to scale (remove the scales from a fish)


garopa

Bluespotted seabass, African hind, Spotted grouper, Cephalopholis taeniops


manelin

(Barlavento) blacktail comber (Serranus atricauda)


manelinhu

(Sotavento) blacktail comber (Serranus atricauda)


linguadu

From Portuguese linguado (“sole, flounder”).


bikuda

Guachanche barracuda (Sphyraena guachancho)


otxá

(Barlavento) to find, discover, encounter


agresive

(Barlavento) aggressive, violent, forceful


bentedja

bulldog dentex, Virididentex acromegalus


albakóra

Thunnus albacares
Thunnus albacares#Translingual


fatxu

African forktail snapper, Apsilus fuscus


gaiadu

Katsuwonus pelamis
Katsuwonus pelamis#Translingual


odjita

blackbar soldierfish, Myripristis jacobus


salmoneti

West African goatfish, Pseudupeneus prayensis


xarroku

From Portuguese xarroco (“Lusitanian toadfish”).


fanhama

blackbelly rosefish, Helicolenus dactylopterus


stragu

“Kes ataki di Rúsia sta kontinua ta faze txeu stragu na Ukránia.”

2024, “Sta kuazi ta kontise un géra mundial? — Kuzê ki Bíblia ta fla?”, in Jehovah's Witnesses:

“Russian strikes continue to wreak havoc across Ukraine.”


sigaru

“Solidon ta omenta bu risku di móre, di mésmu manera ki el ta omenta di un algen ki ta fuma 15 sigaru tudu dia.”

2023, “Solidon é un prubléma ki sta bira kada bês más txeu — Kuzê ki Bíblia ta fla”, in Jehovah's Witnesses:


tchinda

Colloquial term from Tchinda Andrade, a transgender woman and the first out LGBT person in Cape Verde


txeu

Faze un lista di kes kuza ki bu gosta na bu maridu ô bu mudjer. Dipôs fla-l di kes kuza li ki bu gosta txeu na el.

2018, “3: Ruspetu”, in Jehovah's Witnesses:


kazamentu

Maridu ku mudjer ki ta mostra ruspetu na ses kazamentu, ta nporta ku kunpanheru, mésmu óras ki es tene opinion diferenti.


filís

“Ruspeta nha maridu krê fla ma N ta mostra-l na kuzas ki N ta faze, ma N ta da-l valor i ma N krê pa el ser filís. Ka ten ki ser un kuza grandi, alvês faze kuzas pikinoti tudu óra é ki ta mostra ma N ta ruspeta-l di verdadi.” — Megan.