-eiro

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• -zeiro (after stressed vowels)
• -eyro (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese -eiro, from Latin -ārius and -ārium.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA: /ˈɐjru/
• (Brazil) IPA: /ˈe(j)ɾu/
• (South Brazil) IPA: /ˈe(j)ɾo/

Suffix

-eiro m (feminine -eira plural -eiros feminine plural -eiras)

1. forms nouns from nouns or verbs, denoting someone who works with the suffixed noun or engages in the suffixed verb; -er; -eer

   cozinha (“kitchen”) + -eiro → cozinheiro (“cook”)

   aventura (“adventure”) + -eiro → aventureiro (“adventurer”)

   companhia (“company”) + -eiro → companheiro (“companion”)

2. forms nouns, from nouns denoting a location or type of location, meaning “someone from the location” and adjectives meaning “of, from or related to the location”

   Brasil (“Brazil”) + -eiro → brasileiro (“Brazilian”)

   costa (“coast”) + -eiro → costeiro (“of the coast; someone who lives in the coast”)

3. forms, from the name of a fruit, wood or other plant product, the name of the tree or plant which bears it

   pêssego (“peach fruit”) + -eiro → pessegueiro (“peach tree”)

   rosa (“rose”) + -eira → roseira (“rosebush”)

4. (usually feminine) forms nouns, from nouns or adjectives, denoting a state, property or quality of being the suffixed adjective or having the suffixed noun; -ity, -ness

   sujo (“filthy”) + -eira → sujeira (“filth”)

   besta (“foolish”) + -eira → besteira (“foolery”)

   nojo (“disgust”) + -eira → nojeira (“something disgusting”)

5. forms nouns, from nouns, denoting a place where there is plenty of the suffixed noun

   lama (“mud”) + -eiro → lameiro (“place with a lot of mud”)

6. forms nouns, from verbs, denoting place where the suffixed verb is likely to occur

   atolar (“to bog down”) + -eiro → atoleiro (“place where vehicles bog down frequently”)

7. forms nouns, not necessarily with the same gender, from nouns, which belong to the same class as the suffixed noun

   carvalho (“oak”) + -eira → carvalheira (“English oak”)

8. forms synonyms of nouns, not necessarily with the same gender

   azinho (“holm oak”) + -eira → azinheira (“holm oak”)

   pinho (“pine tree”) + -eiro → pinheiro (“pine tree”)

9. forms nouns from nouns, denoting a container for the suffixed noun

   lápis (“pencil”) + -eiro → lapiseiro (“pencil case”)

   sal (“salt”) + -eiro → saleiro (“salt cellar”)

10. forms, from nouns, adjectives meaning “in which the suffixed noun is transported” and nouns meaning “a ship which transports the suffixed noun”

    carga (“cargo; load”) + -eiro → cargueiro (“which transports cargo”)

    navio (“ship”) + negro (“black person”) + -eiro → navio-negreiro (“slave ship”)

    petróleo (“petroleum”) + -eiro → petroleiro (“oil tanker”)

11. forms nouns, from the name of a drug, denoting someone who is addicted to the drug; -head

    maconha (“marijuana”) + -eiro → maconheiro (“stoner; pothead”)

12. forms nouns, from noun denoting a fan of the suffixed noun

    metal (“heavy metal”) + -eiro → metaleiro (“metalhead”)

    novela (“soap opera”) + -eiro → noveleiro (“fan of soap operas”)

Synonyms

• (someone who works with something): -ário, -dor, -ista
• (plant which bears something): pé-de-
• (state, property or quality): -ice, -ície, -eza
• (place with plenty of something): -al
• (place where something occurs): -douro
• (of a location): -ano, -ão, -ense, -ês, -iço

Related terms

• -ário