alcanzia

Portuguese

FWOTD – 12 July 2014

Alternative forms

• alcancia (Rio Grande do Sul)

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic اَلْكَنْزِيَّة (al-kanziyya, “treasure; stacking; amass”), from كَنْز (kanz, “treasure”), from an Iranian language; compare Persian گنج (ganj) and Old Median *ganza-bara-.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ/ [aʊ̯.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ/ [aʊ̯.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.kɐ̃ˈzi.a/ [aʊ̯.kɐ̃ˈzi.a]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ/ [aɫ.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ]

Noun

alcanzia f (plural alcanzias)

1. (historical) a small earthen ball filled with flowers, ashes and colourful strips thrown by horsemen at each other during jousts
   • 1984, Niomar de Souza Pereira, Cavalhadas no Brasil: de cortejo a cavalo a lutas de Mouros e Cristãos, Escola de Folclore, page 22:

     […] , que carregam, nos surrões de couro, as lanças, postes de argolinha, cabeças de massa, alcanzias etc.

     […] , that they carry, in leather bags, the lances, hoop posts, mortar heads, earthen balls, etc.

2. (historical) an earthen grenade
   • 1865, Memorias da Academia Real das Sciencias de Lisboa, volume 3, part 2, page 41:

     Continuavam os inimigos a deitar no cavalleiro immensas panellas e alcanzias de polvora, […]

     The enemies kept hurling huge pans and grenades with gunpowder at the knight, […]