Brasília
/bɾaˈzi.li.a/noun
The capital city of Brazil, inaugurated in 1960 and located in the country’s Federal District.
Did you know?The name Brasília comes from Brasil, whose traditional explanation connects it to brazilwood, a valuable red dye tree whose color was associated with glowing embers, although scholars still debate the deeper origin.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Latin
Latin
brasilia
“A form associated with brasil, the name for a reddish dye-producing wood; the ultimate origin is disputed.”
12th–13th Century
Old Portuguese
brasil
“A name for red dye wood, probably linked by medieval writers to its fiery or ember-like color.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Brasil
“Brazil, named in European usage for the commercially valuable red brazilwood found abundantly along its coast.”
1822
Portuguese
Brasília
“A proposed name for Brazil’s future capital, formed as a feminine place-name from Brasil.”
1960
Brazilian Portuguese
Brasília
“The newly inaugurated federal capital of Brazil, designed by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer.”
Modern English
English
Brasília
“The capital city of Brazil.”
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