chifre

Galician

Etymology 1

Ultimately from a Vulgar Latin sīfilāre, as a variant of Latin sībilāre, present active infinitive of sībilō. Cognate with Portuguese chifre and Spanish chiflo.

Alternative forms

• xifre, xipro, chifro, chífaro, chifra

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃifɾe̝/

Noun

chifre m (plural chifres)

1. whistle

   Synonyms: asubío, pito

2. horsetail (Equisetum)

   Synonyms: rabo de cabalo, xestela

3. panpipes

References

• “chifre” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “chifre” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “chifre” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Etymology 2

Verb

chifre

1. inflection of chifrar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.fɾi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.fɾi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.fɾe/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.fɾɨ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.fɾɨ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.fɾɨ/

• Rhymes: -ifɾi, -ifɾɨ
• Hyphenation: chi‧fre

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish chifle, from chiflar (“to hiss, to whistle”), from Vulgar Latin *sīfilāre, from Latin sībilāre (“to hiss, to whistle”). For sense 2, compare chifrudo and Spanish poner los cuernos.

Noun

chifre m (plural chifres)

1. horn, antler (bone outgrowth on the head of some mammals)
2. (Brazil, colloquial) a romantic betrayal; cheating; cuckolding

   colocar chifre em alguém

   cheat on someone (lit. put a horn on someone)

Descendants

• Guinea-Bissau Creole: tcifri
• Kabuverdianu: tchifri

Etymology 2

Verb

chifre

1. inflection of chifrar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “chifre” in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024.
• “chifre” in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa.