caipirinha

Where does the word "caipirinha" come from? It comes from Brazilian Portuguese caipira, passing through Brazilian Portuguese before entering English (1900s).

Caipirinha’s story begins in Brazilian Portuguese: caipira meant “country bumpkin.” A backwoods countryman of São Paulo's interior, possibly from a Tupi word though the source is disputed; Monteiro Lobato's 1914 character Jeca Tatu fixed the stereotype. Within Brazilian Portuguese, it grew into caipirinha by 1900s. 'little bumpkin', a rustic cachaça-lime-sugar drink that a popular story places around Piracicaba in São Paulo state; Brazilian Decree 4,851 of 2003 defines it in law as a typically Brazilian drink. It reached English by 1900s as caipirinha. Spread through Brazilian bars abroad, and the International Bartenders Association lists it among its official cocktails. Today, caipirinha means a Brazilian cocktail of cachaça, lime and sugar.

1. Stage 1 · Brazilian Portuguese · 1800s caipira "country bumpkin", a backwoods countryman of São Paulo's interior, possibly from a Tupi word though the source is disputed; Monteiro Lobato's 1914 character Jeca Tatu fixed the stereotype.
2. Stage 2 · Brazilian Portuguese · 1900s caipirinha "cachaça and lime cocktail", 'little bumpkin', a rustic cachaça-lime-sugar drink that a popular story places around Piracicaba in São Paulo state; Brazilian Decree 4,851 of 2003 defines it in law as a typically Brazilian drink.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s caipirinha "Brazilian cocktail", spread through Brazilian bars abroad, and the International Bartenders Association lists it among its official cocktails.