Etymology Map
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Caipirinha

3 stages from Brazilian Portuguese to English.

Today it means a Brazilian cocktail of cachaça, lime and sugar

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
caipira
Brazilian Portuguese · 1800s
"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 of 3
caipirinha
Brazilian Portuguese · 1900s
"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 of 3
caipirinha
English · 1900s
"Brazilian cocktail"
spread through Brazilian bars abroad, and the International Bartenders Association lists it among its official cocktails
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Read the full story

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.