bigode

Galician

Alternative forms

• bigote

Etymology

Unknown. Popular theories (folk etymology) include its coming from German bei Gott (“by God”), because, when taking an oath, some men, once they said "by God", would supposedly aimed at the superior lip with the index finger, symbolising forming the cross with the fingers and kissing it. Compare Portuguese bigode.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi.ˈɣɔ.ðe̝/

Noun

bigode m (plural bigodes)

1. moustache, mustache; moustaches, mustaches
2. whisker, whiskers

Usage notes

May be used in the singular or plural with the same meaning, as in English.

Portuguese

FWOTD – 27 May 2023

Portuguese Wikipedia has an article on:

bigode

Wikipedia ^pt

Etymology

Unknown. Theories include:

• from Middle High German bi got (“by God”) (modern bei Gott (“by God”)), due to the use of moustache by Landsknecht mercenaries;
• from vigote, diminutive of viga (“beam”).

Cognate with Galician bigode, Mirandese, Asturian, Spanish, and Aragonese bigote and Catalan bigoti.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /biˈɡɔ.d͡ʒi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /biˈɡɔ.d͡ʒi/
  • (Porto Alegre) IPA^(key): /biˈɡɔ.de/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /biˈɡɔ.dɨ/ [biˈɣɔ.ðɨ]

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: (Brazil) -ɔd͡ʒi, (Portugal) -ɔdɨ
• Hyphenation: bi‧go‧de

Noun

bigode m (plural bigodes)

1. moustache, mustache

   Salvador Dalí tinha um bigode muito peculiar.

   Salvador Dalí had a very peculiar moustache.

   • 2014, “Dá mais música à bófia”, in B Fachada, performed by B Fachada:

     Sabes que o bigode / já não está na moda / nem com buços do vinho / dá mais música à bófia

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (usually in the plural) whisker (long projecting hair at the sides of the mouth of a cat)

   Os tigres têm bigodes.

   Tigers have whiskers.

Derived terms

• abigodado
• abigodar
• bigodado
• bigodão (augmentative)
• bigode chinês
• bigode-de-arame
• bigode-de-gato
• bigodeado
• bigodear
• bigodeira
• bigodeiro
• bigodelha
• bigodete
• bigodinho (diminutive)
• bigodudo
• caboclo-de-bigode
• capitão-de-bigode
• forde-de-bigode
• sagui-de-bigode

See also

• barba
• buço
• cavanhaque

Further reading

• “bigode”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “bigode”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025