mimbaba

Old Tupi

Alternative forms

• mymbaba

Etymology

From mim (“to hide”) +‎ -ab +‎ -a.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aβa

Noun

mimbaba (possessable)

1. livestock
   • 1618, Antônio de Araújo, “25. Natiuitas Dòmini. G. I.”, in Cateciſmo na Lingoa Braſilica [Catechism in the Brazilian Language], Catalogo dos dias Santos de guarda, & de jejum (overall work in Old Tupi, Portuguese, and Latin), Lisbon: Pedro Crasbeeck, page 9v:

     Kó 'ara îamoeté Tupãetéramo o ekó pupé apyabetéramo Cristo o sy suí i 'aragûera. Onhemoarûabo mba’eîare’yma îabé, ybyrá itá monhangymbyra kupépe so’o mimbaba roka ogûar gupabamo. Semiuru rupápe i xy i nongi. Ybakygûana onhemoputupab i nhemomoreaûsuba repîaka. 'Ara i pîasaba îekuakupaba.

     On this day, we honor the birth of Christ from his mother as the true God. Becoming humble as the poor, behind a stone-made fence, he took the livestock animal's house as his lodging. His mother put him in their manger. Heaven's inhabitants were astonished seeing he humiliating himself. Day of obligation and fasting.

2. pet (animal kept as a companion)
3. hideout; hiding place

Usage notes

• With the advent of colonization, Tupians used the names of similar native animals to call the unknown species brought by the Europeans. Neologisms were then created by using eté (“true”) and eŷmbaba／mimbaba (“domestic animal”) as a form to differentiate the old and new species, respectively.

Synonyms

• eîmbaba

Derived terms

• marakaîamimbaba
• mimbabararõana
• mimbaberekoara
• mimbabetá
• pemimbaba
• so'omimbaba
• syûasumimbaba
• îagûamimbaba

 

Descendants

• Nheengatu: mimbawa
• → Brazilian Portuguese: mumbavo