Etymograph

English

modinha

Modinha comes from Portuguese modinha, from moda ‘fashion (current trend, favored for frivolous…’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mod-ós‘measure’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*modosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodus‘measure’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mode
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘fashion’
  8. Portuguesec. 1500–presentmoda‘fashion (current trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical’
  9. Portuguese, derivedc. 1500–presentmodinha
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1988same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*med-‘to measure’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mod-ós‘measure’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*modosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmodus‘measure’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400mode
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘fashion’
  8. Portuguesec. 1500–presentmoda‘fashion (current trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical’
  9. Portuguese, derivedc. 1500–presentmodinha
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1988same form

Earliest quotation: 1988, Jorge Amado, Captains of the Sands: “The drifters were coming back to play the guitar,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *med- ‘to measure’

must, medical, medicine, medication, moderate, med, remedy, meditation, modest, blackmail, medicinal, medic, meditate, moderator, molding, mete, modulate, mote, moulder, commode, 22 more

through Proto-Italic *modos

modernize, modality, 10 more

through Latin modus ‘measure’

model, modern, mud, mood, mold, module, modification, commodity, mould, modulation, modal, modus, modulus, modicum, modulo, modifiable, 17 more

through French mode ‘fashion’

mode, 3 more

Today it means

noun A kind of sentimental love song of Portugal and Brazil.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *med- / modinha

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