cafuné (Portuguese)

Where does "cafuné" come from?

The Portuguese noun 'cafuné', meaning the act of fondling or caressing someone's head[1], has an uncertain origin[1]. It is possibly borrowed from the Kimbundu word 'kifumate'[1].

Open questions

• The derivation from Kimbundu is uncertain and remains a possibility rather than a confirmed etymology. [1]

Full etymology tree

• cafuné (Portuguese), 'the act of fondling or caressing someone's head'
  • borrowed kifumate (Kimbundu)

Sources

1. cafuné (Portuguese) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris