preto

Etymology

From Portuguese preto.

Adjective

preto ? (Latin spelling)

1. black

Etymology

From earlier *apreto, from apretar, from Late Latin appectorāre, from Latin pectus (“chest”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɾɛ.to/

Adjective

preto m (plural pretos, feminine preta, feminine plural pretas)

1. black

Adverb

preto

1. near
   • 13th century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 325 (facsimile):

     […] que pã nõ comeu nẽ bocado nen beueu agua nẽ uẏo ata que preto de Silve foi quando aluzeçia.

     […] that she didn’t eat bread nor morsel, neither drank water nor wine until she was near Silves during sunrise.

See also

Alternative forms

• prêto (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese preto (“black, near”), from earlier *apreto, from apretar (Modern Portuguese apertar (“tighten, press, clamp”)), from Late Latin appectorāre, from Latin pectus (“chest”). The semantic evolution to "black" or "dark" comes through the sense of "dense" or "thick". See also the related perto. Another common, but less likely, etymology suggested is a Vulgar Latin *prettus, from pressus^[1].

Compare Asturian and Leonese prietu and Spanish prieto.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal, Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɾe.tu/
• Hyphenation: pre‧to

Adjective

preto m (feminine singular preta, masculine plural pretos, feminine plural pretas, comparable)

1. black; black in colour

   Synonym: negro (somewhat formal)

   Tecido preto esquenta mais rápido.

   Black cloth heats up more quickly

2. (idiomatic, of situations) bad; very adverse

   Synonyms: feio, adverso (formal)

   A coisa está preta.

   The current situation is bad.

3. (pejorative, of a person) black (dark-skinned)

   Synonym: negro (neutral)

   Uma mulher preta passou por aqui.

   A black woman was here.

4. (loosely) being the darkest of its kind

   pão preto ― rye bread

   peças pretas de xadrez ― black chess pieces

   nuvem preta ― black cloud

Noun

preto m (plural pretos, feminine preta, feminine plural pretas)

1. the color black

   O preto é a mais escura das cores.

   Black is the darkest colour.

2. (often derogatory) a black man

   Uma preta passou por aqui.

   A black woman was here.

3. black clothing

   Pessoas em luto se vestem de preto.

   Mourners dress in black.

See also

References