Mogi Das Cruzes
/ˈmo.ʒi das ˈkɾu.zis/noun
A municipality in São Paulo state, Brazil, whose name is a Portuguese place-name meaning “Mogi of the Crosses.”
Did you know?The “crosses” traditionally associated with the name were roadside markers connected with early travelers and settlements, while the deeper meaning of “Mogi” remains debated among specialists in Tupi place-names.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial period
Tupi
Mogi / Moji
“An Indigenous place-name of Tupi origin; its precise original sense is uncertain, although popular explanations connect it with snakes or a river setting.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Mogi
“A Portuguese rendering of an existing Indigenous geographic name in the São Paulo region.”
17th Century
Portuguese
Mogi das Cruzes
““Mogi of the Crosses,” a name associated with crosses marking routes or religious landmarks near the developing settlement.”
18th Century
Portuguese
Vila de Sant’Anna de Mogi das Cruzes
“The formal colonial designation of the settlement, invoking Saint Anne and the place-name Mogi das Cruzes.”
Modern Portuguese
Portuguese
Mogi das Cruzes
“The modern name of the Brazilian municipality in São Paulo state.”