Etymology Map
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Fado

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a melancholy Portuguese folk song, typically about longing and fate

Where does the word "fado" come from? It comes from Latin fatum, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
fatum
Latin · classical
"destiny"
literally 'what has been spoken' (by the gods), from fari 'to speak'; Virgil's Aeneid opens with Aeneas 'fato profugus', exiled by fate
2
Stage 2 of 3
fado
Portuguese · 1800s
"fate; a Portuguese song form"
'fate' gave its name to a mournful song style born in Lisbon's Alfama and Mouraria districts; Maria Severa (1820-1846) is its first legendary singer
3
Stage 3 of 3
fado
English · 1900s
"Portuguese folk song"
Amália Rodrigues's international tours from the 1950s carried it abroad, and UNESCO listed fado as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011
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Read the full story

Fado’s story begins in Latin: fatum meant “destiny.” Literally 'what has been spoken' (by the gods), from fari 'to speak'; Virgil's Aeneid opens with Aeneas 'fato profugus', exiled by fate. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Portuguese as fado. 'fate' gave its name to a mournful song style born in Lisbon's Alfama and Mouraria districts; Maria Severa (1820-1846) is its first legendary singer. It reached English by 1900s as fado. Amália Rodrigues's international tours from the 1950s carried it abroad, and UNESCO listed fado as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. Today, fado means a melancholy Portuguese folk song, typically about longing and fate.