São Paulo – The writer from Pernambuco Gustavo Arruda researched words used specifically in the northeast region of Brazil and found out that many of them have their origins in foreign languages, among them Arabic language. The topic was then turned into a book called “Deu com a pleura!”, from 2009, and now the lingo that’s in the book is the basis for a play of the same name to be staged in Recife, the state of Pernambuco’s capital, from September 18th to October 16th this year.
With a major degree in business administration, Arruda writes short-stories since the 1980s, the majority of them with a touch of humor. He started publishing them in alt-newspapers in Pernambuco, then went online and ended up dedicating himself to research on specific topics, which were turned into books, as was the case with “Deu com a pleura!” In the book, he writes funny short stories with peculiar northeastern expressions, followed by a glossary with explanations and origins.
Among the languages that influenced the local lingo are French, Italian, African dialects, Portuguese from Portugal, and the indigenous language Tupi-Guarani. From the Arabic comes the word “alfenim,” says Arruda. It’s a type of fancy dessert that crumbles easily and that comes from the Arabic word “al-fanid” and in the northeast is used to say that someone is too sensitive. “The guy is an alfenim”, says the writer. There are also very common words, such as the name of the state’s capital, Recife, which means sidewalk, paved way, and comes from the Arabic word “ar-raçif,” according to Arruda.
From other languages he identified “bujão” (cylinder) and “madama” (madam) from the French, “oxente” (gee!) from Portugal’s Portuguese, “arrego” (to surrender) and “botija” (jar) from the Spanish, “macaxeira” (cassava) and “pindaíba” (misery) from the Tupi, among others. The words in Arabic were brought by the Portuguese people, who were for several years under Islamic rule and inhabited Brazil’s northeast. Recife, by being a sugar trade and port region, was strongly influenced by foreigners, says Arruda.
In Arruda’s work, these words appear within the text. “They are short stories written with words used here, by us, that already fell in disuse due to globalization”, says the writer. Arruda’s purpose is to preserve the memory of these words. He says that today people talk in a very similar way throughout Brazil and that these regional words are not used anymore. “If we don’t record them, they will go away”, says the writer from Pernambuco.
“Deu com a pleura,” the expression that lends Arruda’s book and the eponymous theater play their title, means something has gone wrong. Pleura is a membrane within the lung and the people in the Northeast used to say “Deu com a pleura” when someone died from pneumonia. The book was published by Zit, a publisher based in Rio de Janeiro, and Gustavo Arruda has six books published, most of them covering humor or regional/historical subjects.
Arruda does research on his own and is not affiliated with universities or teaching institutions. When it comes to the Northeastern expressions and words in the book “Deu com a Pleura!,” he says he used books, the internet, and conversations with older residents. The book can be found on the websites of several bookstores, including Saraiva, Cultura and Zit itself (see info below).
The theater play inspired by the book was staged by the group Aracatu. The book was adapted for theater by Benedito Serafim and Eduardo Gomes. The play portrays friends Docrécio Gogó de Ganso, Tico Cachacinha and Deco Chupa Prego at seu Nado’s bar as they get together to catch up. The conversation is peppered with typical Northeastern humor, and is based on the chronicles from Arruda’s book. The play, however, does not get into how the words came to be.
Deu com a Pleura Theater play
Venue: O Poste Soluções Luminosas
Rua Aurora, 529 – on the corner of Rua Princesa Isabel – Recife – Pernambuco
Fridays, 8pm
September 18th to October 16th, 2015
Tickets: R$ 30 (full) and R$ 15 (half-price), or roughly US$ 4 to 8
Contact: +55 (81) 98812 7038
Deu com a Pleura! Book
Author: Gustavo Arruda
Publisher: Editora Zit
108 pages
ISBN 978-85-99105-94-8
To buy from the publisher’s website:
http://ziteditora.com.br/publicacoes/adultos/deu-com-a-pleura/
R$ 26.90 (approximately US$ 7)
Version for the visually impaired: http://www.universidadefalada.com.br/audiolivros-gratis-audio-livro-gratuito/deu-com-a-pleura-audio-livros-gratis-mp3.html
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani & Gabriel Pomerancblum
