From Disappearing Donkey To Toasted: The 136 Skin Colors Of Brazil

Billy Haisley|published: Wed 9th July, 17:04 2014

The skin tones of Brazilians quite literally span the entire spectrum of possible human hues. Reflecting this are the 136 creative descriptions Brazilians came up with in a survey asking them to self-assess their color:

Acastanhada	Somewhat chestnut-coloured
Agalegada	Somewhat like a Galician
Alva	Snowy white
Alva escura	Dark snowy white
Alvarenta	(not in dictionary; poss. dialect) Snowy white
Alvarinta	Snowy white
Alva rosada	Pinkish white
Alvinha	Snowy white
Amarela	Yellow
Amarelada	Yellowish
Amarela-queimada	Burnt yellow
Amarelosa	Yellowy
Amorenada	Somewhat dark-skinned
Avermelhada	Reddish
Azul	Blue
Azul-marinho	Sea blue
Baiano	From Bahia
Bem branca	Very white
Bem clara	Very pale
Bem morena	Very dark-skinned
Branca	White
Branca-avermelhada	White going on for red
Branca-melada	Honey-coloured white
Branca-morena	White but dark-skinned
Branca-pálida	Pale white
Branca-queimada	Burnt white
Branca-sardenta	Freckled white
Branca-suja	Off-white
Branquiça	Whitish
Branquinha	Very white
Bronze	Bronze-coloured
Bronzeada	Sun-tanned
Bugrezinha-escura	Dark-skinned India
Burro-quando-foge	Disappearing donkey (i.e. nondescript) humorous
Cabocla	Copper-coloured ( refers to civilized Indians)
Cabo-verde	From Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)
Café	Coffee-coloured
Café-com-leite	Café au lait
Canela	Cinnamon
Canelada	Somewhat like cinnamon
Cardão	Colour of the cardoon, or thistle (blue-violet)
Castanha	Chestnut
Castanha-clara	Light chestnut
Castanha-escura	Dark chestnut
Chocolate	Chocolate-coloured
Clara	Light-coloured, pale
Clarinha	Light-coloured, pale
Cobre	Copper-coloured
Corada	With a high colour
Cor-de-café	Coffee-coloured
Cor-de-canela	Cinnamon-coloured
Cor-de-cuia	Gourd-coloured
Cor-de-leite	Milk-coloured (i.e. milk-white)
Cor-de-ouro	Gold-coloured (i.e. golden)
Cor-de-rosa	Pink
Cor-firme	Steady-coloured
Crioula	Creole
Encerada	Polished
Enxofrada	Pallid
Esbranquecimento	Whitening
Escura	Dark
Escurinha	Very dark
Fogoió	Having fiery-coloured hair
Galega	Galician or Portuguese
Galegada	Somewhat like a Galician or Portuguese
Jambo	Light-skinned (the colour of a type of apple)
Laranja	Orange
Lilás	Lilac
Loira	Blonde
Loira-clara	Light blonde
Loura	Blonde
Lourinha	Petite blonde
Malaia	Malaysian woman
Marinheira	Sailor-woman
Marrom	Brown
Meio-amarela	Half-yellow
Meio-branca	Half-white
Meio-morena	Half dark-skinned
Meio-preta	Half-black
Melada	Honey-coloured
Mestiça	Half-caste/mestiza
Miscigenação	Miscegenation
Mista	Mixed
Morena	Dark-skinned, brunette
Morena-bem-chegada	Very nearly morena
Morena-bronzeada	Sunburnt morena
Morena-canelada	Somewhat cinnamon-coloured morena
Morena-castanha	Chestnut-coloured morena
Morena-clara	Light-skinned morena
Morena-cor-de-canela	Cinnamon-coloured morena
Morena-jambo	Light-skinned morena
Morenada	Somewhat morena
Morena-escura	Dark morena
Morena-fechada	Dark morena
Morenão	Dark-complexioned man
Morena-parda	Dark morena
Morena-roxa	Purplish morena
Morena-ruiva	Red-headed morena
Morena-trigueira	Swarthy, dusky morena
Moreninha	Petite morena
Mulata	Mulatto girl
Mulatinha	Little mulatto girl
Negra	Negress
Negrota	Young negress
Pálida	Pale
Paraíba	From Paraíba
Parda	Brown
Parda-clara	Light brown
Parda-morena	Brown morena
Parda-preta	Black-brown
Polaca	Polish woman
Pouco-clara	Not very light
Pouco-morena	Not very dark-complexioned
Pretinha	Black – either young, or small
Puxa-para-branco	Somewhat towards white
Quase-negra	Almost negro
Queimada	Sunburnt
Queimada-de-praia	Beach sunburnt
Queimada-de-sol	Sunburnt
Regular	Regular, normal
Retinta	Deep-dyed, very dark
Rosa	Rose-coloured (or the rose itself)
Rosada	Rosy
Rosa-queimada	Sunburnt-rosy
Roxa	Purple
Ruiva	Redhead
Russo	Russian
Sapecada	Singed
Sarará	Yellow-haired negro
Saraúba	(poss. dialect) Untranslatable
Tostada	Toasted
Trigo	Wheat
Trigueira	Brunette
Turva	Murky
Verde	Green
Vermelha	Red