Located 1077 kilometers from mainland Portugal, the world-famous island of Madeira is home to a unique set of expressions that are only used in this region. With Cultura de Algibeira originating from this archipelago, today we decided to show you twenty-three Madeiran regionalisms, one for each letter of the alphabet.

Adufa

Don’t know what an adufa is? Good, because today’s goal is to teach you new things! You see that gutter for draining rainwater? Exactly, that’s what we call an adufa!

Braguinha

Do you know what a ukulele is? Yes, that instrument that everyone thinks is from Hawaii… Well, if you think it’s really from there, you’re wrong! With the name braguinha, this globally famous instrument originated in the Portuguese archipelago.

Chorrica

Think the words are getting too weird? We’re only on the third letter! We hope that, for your own good, you’re not suffering from chorrica while reading this article! That’s right, chorrica is our lovely way of referring to diarrhea.

Dentinho

If you’ve ever been to Madeira and asked for a beer, it probably came with a dentinho! If you haven’t been to Madeira, don’t worry, you won’t get children’s teeth with your drink! We’re talking about a snack to accompany your beverage, whether it’s lupini beans, peanuts, or a more refined dentinho.

Emboseirar

Let’s get to the verbs! We want to believe that you had a productive day today and didn’t just spend it lounging in your room, but only you can confirm that. What does it mean? To be lying down resting.

Furado

Okay, let’s think about how to explain furados… Can you imagine those Swiss cheeses full of holes? Those holes start in one place and end in another, like a tunnel, right? Exactly, we call the tunnels on our roads furados (they’re holes in the rocks, obviously!), the cheese story was just to confuse you.

Gaguento

Let’s be practical! What adjective do you use to describe someone who stutters? Stutterer? How unoriginal! That’s why the word gaguento was invented, so you can be different… Okay, we admit, we had some trouble remembering words that start with G, but gaguento is real!

Heréu

This is an expression we share with our dear friends from the Azores… Yes, Azoreans is the correct term, but that’s for another article! Who are the heréus? They’re the owners of the water from the canals that run throughout our island.

Impliquento

Do you see that friend who always interferes in your business and has something to say about everything? Yes, that friend! That friend is what we like to call an impliquento person.

Joeira

We decided to check the Priberam dictionary to see what it has to say about joeiras: “A toy made of paper or fabric, oval, triangular, or quadrangular in shape, that is thrown into the wind, held by a string.” They just wanted to say paper kite, no need to thank us for the translation! But between you and me, never try to figure out what it means to altear a joeira…

Lambeca

Summer may be over, but that’s no reason to stop eating lambecas! Don’t you know what they are? What do you eat using a spoon? Yes, lambecas are ice cream! And, as your tour guides on this journey, we recommend trying the famous lambecas from Porto Santo.

Mamulhão

Having a mamulhão is one of those things we don’t wish on anyone. Why? Because they’re usually signs that the person who has them was a victim of violence or got hurt. So, while we teach you that mamulhões are the black spots that appear on your skin after a blow, we appeal for non-violence.

Noruega

What? Norway? Isn’t that a country? Well, yes, you’re not wrong. But for people who need to express the weather in a way that everyone understands, Noruega means it’s rainy and windy outside. Unfortunately, this is one of the many expressions that are no longer used by younger generations.

Olreite

We tried to avoid including expressions adapted from English in this list, but we failed in our mission with the letter O. As you can see, Olreite was the adaptation that old Madeirans made from the expression “All Right” that they heard foreigners use so much.

Patinhar

We’re already on the fifteenth word on this list, and since we believe you’re almost converted into a Madeiran, we’ll let you try to guess this one! Three, two, one… do you have an answer? If you said that patinhar is the act of stepping on something with your feet, you’re correct!

Quimerento

Let’s get back to adjectives: if you work, we bet you think your boss is quimerento; if you study, we bet you have a teacher who’s a real quimerento and you don’t know what to do to improve your grades! Yes, a quimerento person is someone who’s demanding and hard to please.

Rabiçar

Let’s move on to a word that, despite having nothing to do with chorrica, is still related to it. Why? Because both refer to the act of expelling something from our body. In this case, we say that someone is rabiçar when they’re vomiting.

Semilha

The mythical word that everyone uses when they want to show off their knowledge of Madeiran expressions! However, after this article, we hope you’ll be able to quickly identify twenty-two more! Still, for those who don’t know, a semilha is a potato.

Tarraço

Tarraço is a difficult expression to explain because, although it means that someone is drunk, it’s used to identify a special kind of drunk person in the region: those who are always at the taverns drinking their wine.

Uvisto

Don’t judge us, but words that start with U are very rare in the Portuguese language, even more so in Madeiran. As for Uvisto, it’s the way people in rural areas of the island say “ouvido”, the past participle of the verb “ouvir”.

Vaginha

This expression isn’t only used in Madeira, but it’s one of the most commonly used on our island, and it sparks the curiosity of many people. Although it may seem that way, we’re not talking about female private parts, but rather green beans. Do you think this word doesn’t make sense? The beans come from the pod, hence the name.

Xulipa

We have to thank Father Fernando Augusto da Silva for writing the book Vocabulário Madeirense in 1950, because otherwise, we would have never found a word to put on the letter X. But moving on to what interests you, xulipa is sweat, but the kind that smells really bad.

Zarabulhento

We’ve reached the end! And to finish with a bang, we chose a big word! But moving on to the definition, which is what you’re interested in, a zarabulhento person is someone who’s disorderly and likes to cause trouble with others. And since we don’t like trouble, we promise not to be zarabulhentos and will soon visit expressions from other regions of the country.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the purpose of this article?

A: The purpose of this article is to introduce readers to the unique culture of Madeira through 23 regionalisms, one for each letter of the alphabet.

Q: Are these expressions only used in Madeira?

A: Yes, these expressions are unique to the island of Madeira and are not commonly used in other parts of Portugal or the world.

Q: Can I use these expressions in my everyday conversation?

A: While it’s not necessary to use these expressions in your everyday conversation, learning about them can help you appreciate the culture and language of Madeira and its people.