Brasil (Spanish)
Where does "Brasil" come from?
The name 'Brasil' originates from the term 'brasil,' which was used to describe brazilwood, a tree prized for its glowing red dye. When Portuguese explorers encountered this valuable timber in South America, they named the land after the resource, eventually giving rise to the country's name as we know it today.
Full etymology tree
- Brasil (Spanish), 'Brazil (a large Portuguese-speaking country in South America)'
- derived brasa (Spanish), 'hot coal, ember'
- suffix -il (Spanish), '-ile (indicating relation or pertaining to)'
Descendants and derived words
- tronco de Brasil (Spanish)
- Brasil (Tagalog)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris