RIO DE JANEIRO — When Brazilians were given a chance to describe their skin color, they came up with 136 shades and variations. The survey was done in 1976 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and was published again in a 2011 Congressional document titled: The Constitutional Commission on Justice and Citizenship.

 

The list illustrates how Brazilians see themselves, a far more complex color system than simply black or white. English translations are provided.

 

1. Acastanhada: Somewhat chestnut-colored
2. Agalegada: Somewhat like a Galician
3. Alva: Snowy white
4. Alva escura: Dark snowy white
5. Alvarenta (not in dictionary; poss. dialect): Snowy white
6. Alvarinta: Snowy white
7. Alva rosada: Pinkish white
8. Alvinha: Snowy white
9. Amarela: Yellow
10. Amarelada: Yellowish
11. Amarela-queimada: Burnt yellow
12. Amarelosa: Yellowy
13. Amorenada: Somewhat dark-skinned
14. Avermelhada: Reddish
15. Azul: Blue
16. Azul-marinho: Sea blue
17. Baiano: From Bahia
18. Bem branca: Very white
19. Bem clara: Very pale
20. Bem morena: Very dark-skinned
21. Branca: White
22. Branca-avermelhada: White going on for red



23. Branca-melada: Honey-colored white
24. Branca-morena: White but dark-skinned
25. Branca-palida: Pale white
26. Branca-queimada: Burnt white
27. Branca-sardenta: Freckled white
28. Branca-suja: Off-white
29. Branquica: Whitish
30. Branquinha: Very white
31. Bronze: Bronze-colored
32. Bronzeada: Sun-tanned
33. Bugrezinha-escura: Dark-skinned India
34. Burro-quando-foge: Disappearing donkey (i.e. nondescript) humorous
35. Cabocla: Copper-colored (refers to Indians)
36. Cabo-verde: From Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)
37. Cafe: Coffee-colored
38. Cafe-com-leite: Cafe au lait
39. Canela: Cinnamon
40. Canelada: Somewhat like cinnamon
41. Cardao: Colour of the cardoon, or thistle (blue-violet)
42. Castanha: Chestnut
43. Castanha-clara: Light chestnut
44. Castanha-escura: Dark chestnut
45. Chocolate: Chocolate-colored
46. Clara: Light-colored, pale
47. Clarinha: Light-colored, pale
48. Cobre: Copper-colored
49. Corada: With a high color
50. Cor-de-cafe: Coffee-colored
51. Cor-de-canela: Cinnamon-colored
52. Cor-de-cuia: Gourd-colored
53. Cor-de-leite: Milk-colored (i.e. milk-white)
54. Cor-de-ouro: Gold-colored (i.e. golden)
55. Cor-de-rosa: Pink
56. Cor-firme: Steady-colored
57. Crioula: Creole
58. Encerada: Polished
59. Enxofrada: Pallid
60. Esbranquecimento: Whitening
61. Escura: Dark
62. Escurinha: Very dark
63. Fogoio: Having fiery-colored hair



64. Galega: Galician or Portuguese
65. Galegada: Somewhat like a Galician or Portuguese
66. Jambo: Light-skinned (the color of a type of apple)
67. Laranja: Orange
68. Lilas: Lilac
69. Loira: Blonde
70. Loira-clara: Light blonde
71. Loura: Blonde
72. Lourinha: Petite blonde
73. Malaia: Malaysian woman
74. Marinheira: Sailor-woman
75. Marrom: Brown
76. Meio-amarela: Half-yellow
77. Meio-branca: Half-white
78. Meio-morena: Half dark-skinned
79. Meio-preta: Half-black
80. Melada: Honey-colored
81. Mestica: Half-caste/mestiza
82. Miscigenacao: Miscegenation
83. Mista: Mixed
84. Morena: Dark-skinned, brunette
85. Morena-bem-chegada: Very nearly morena
86. Morena-bronzeada: Sunburnt morena
87. Morena-canelada: Somewhat cinnamon-colored morena
88. Morena-castanha: Chestnut-colored morena
89. Morena-clara: Light-skinned morena
90. Morena-cor-de-canela: Cinnamon-colored morena
91. Morena-jambo: Light-skinned morena
92. Morenada: Somewhat morena
93. Morena-escura: Dark morena
94. Morena-fechada: Dark morena
95. Morenao: Dark-complexioned man
96. Morena-parda: Dark morena
97. Morena-roxa: Purplish morena
98. Morena-ruiva: Red-headed morena
99. Morena-trigueira: Swarthy, dusky morena
100. Moreninha: Petite morena
101. Mulata: Mulatto girl
102. Mulatinha: Little mulatto girl



103. Negra: Negress
104. Negrota: Young negress
105. Palida: Pale
106. Paraíba: From Paraíba
107. Parda: Brown
108. Parda-clara: Light brown
109. Parda-morena: Brown morena
110. Parda-preta: Black-brown
111. Polaca: Polish woman
112. Pouco-clara: Not very light
113. Pouco-morena: Not very dark-complexioned
114. Pretinha: Black – either young, or small
115. Puxa-para-branco: Somewhat toward white
116. Quase-negra: Almost negro
117. Queimada: Sunburnt
118. Queimada-de-praia: Beach sunburnt
119. Queimada-de-sol: Sunburnt
120. Regular: Regular, normal
121. Retinta: Deep-dyed, very dark
122. Rosa: Rose-coloured (or the rose itself)
123. Rosada: Rosy
124. Rosa-queimada: Sunburnt-rosy
125. Roxa: Purple
126. Ruiva: Redhead
127. Russo: Russian
128. Sapecada: Singed
129. Sarará: Yellow-haired negro
130. Sarauba (poss. dialect): Untranslatable
131. Tostada: Toasted
132. Trigo: Wheat
133. Trigueira: Brunette
134. Turva: Murky
135. Verde: Green
136. Vermelha: Red

 

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