BrasĂlia
/bÉŸaËzi.li.a/noun
The capital city of Brazil, inaugurated in 1960 and located in the countryâs Federal District.
Did you know?The name BrasĂlia 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
âA form associated with brasil, the name for a reddish dye-producing wood; the ultimate origin is disputed.â
12thâ13th Century
Old Portuguese
brasil
âA name for red dye wood, probably linked by medieval writers to its fiery or ember-like color.â
16th Century
Portuguese
Brasil
âBrazil, named in European usage for the commercially valuable red brazilwood found abundantly along its coast.â
1822
Portuguese
BrasĂlia
âA proposed name for Brazilâs future capital, formed as a feminine place-name from Brasil.â
1960
Brazilian Portuguese
BrasĂlia
âThe newly inaugurated federal capital of Brazil, designed by LĂșcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer.â
Modern English
English
BrasĂlia
âThe capital city of Brazil.â
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