Sunday, June 22, 2014

136 variations of skin colors

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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