RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) When Brazilians were given a chance to describe their skin color, they came up with 136 shades and variations. The survey was done in 1976 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, and was published again in a 2011 Congressional document titled: The Constitutional Commission on Justice and Citizenship.
The list illustrates how Brazilians see themselves, a far more complex color system than simply black or white. English translations are provided.
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Acastanhada: Somewhat chestnut-colored
Agalegada: Somewhat like a Galician
Alva: Snowy white
Alva escura: Dark snowy white
Alvarenta (not in dictionary; poss. dialect): Snowy white
Alvarinta: Snowy white
Alva rosada: Pinkish white
Alvinha: Snowy white
Amarela: Yellow
Amarelada: Yellowish
Amarela-queimada: Burnt yellow
Amarelosa: Yellowy
Amorenada: Somewhat dark-skinned
Avermelhada: Reddish
Azul: Blue
Azul-marinho: Sea blue
Baiano: From Bahia
Bem branca: Very white
Bem clara: Very pale
Bem morena: Very dark-skinned
Branca: White
Branca-avermelhada: White going on for red
Branca-melada: Honey-colored white
Branca-morena: White but dark-skinned
Branca-palida: Pale white
Branca-queimada: Burnt white
Branca-sardenta: Freckled white
Branca-suja: Off-white
Branquica: Whitish
Branquinha: Very white
Bronze: Bronze-colored
Bronzeada: Sun-tanned
Bugrezinha-escura: Dark-skinned India
Burro-quando-foge: Disappearing donkey (i.e. nondescript) humorous
Cabocla: Copper-colored (refers to Indians)
Cabo-verde: From Cabo Verde (Cape Verde)
Cafe: Coffee-colored
Cafe-com-leite: Cafe au lait
Canela: Cinnamon
Canelada: Somewhat like cinnamon
Cardao: Colour of the cardoon, or thistle (blue-violet)
Castanha: Chestnut
Castanha-clara: Light chestnut
Castanha-escura: Dark chestnut
Chocolate: Chocolate-colored
Clara: Light-colored, pale
Clarinha: Light-colored, pale
Cobre: Copper-colored
Corada: With a high color
Cor-de-cafe: Coffee-colored
Cor-de-canela: Cinnamon-colored
Cor-de-cuia: Gourd-colored
Cor-de-leite: Milk-colored (i.e. milk-white)
Cor-de-ouro: Gold-colored (i.e. golden)
Cor-de-rosa: Pink
Cor-firme: Steady-colored
Crioula: Creole
Encerada: Polished
Enxofrada: Pallid
Esbranquecimento: Whitening
Escura: Dark
Escurinha: Very dark
Fogoio: Having fiery-colored hair
Galega: Galician or Portuguese
Galegada: Somewhat like a Galician or Portuguese
Jambo: Light-skinned (the color of a type of apple)
Laranja: Orange
Lilas: Lilac
Loira: Blonde
Loira-clara: Light blonde
Loura: Blonde
Lourinha: Petite blonde
Malaia: Malaysian woman
Marinheira: Sailor-woman
Marrom: Brown
Meio-amarela: Half-yellow
Meio-branca: Half-white
Meio-morena: Half dark-skinned
Meio-preta: Half-black
Melada: Honey-colored
Mestica: Half-caste/mestiza
Miscigenacao: Miscegenation
Mista: Mixed
Morena: Dark-skinned, brunette
Morena-bem-chegada: Very nearly morena
Morena-bronzeada: Sunburnt morena
Morena-canelada: Somewhat cinnamon-colored morena
Morena-castanha: Chestnut-colored morena
Morena-clara: Light-skinned morena
Morena-cor-de-canela: Cinnamon-colored morena
Morena-jambo: Light-skinned morena
Morenada: Somewhat morena
Morena-escura: Dark morena
Morena-fechada: Dark morena
Morenao: Dark-complexioned man
Morena-parda: Dark morena
Morena-roxa: Purplish morena
Morena-ruiva: Red-headed morena
Morena-trigueira: Swarthy, dusky morena
Moreninha: Petite morena
Mulata: Mulatto girl
Mulatinha: Little mulatto girl
Negra: Negress
Negrota: Young negress
Palida: Pale
Paraiba: From Paraiba
Parda: Brown
Parda-clara: Light brown
Parda-morena: Brown morena
Parda-preta: Black-brown
Polaca: Polish woman
Pouco-clara: Not very light
Pouco-morena: Not very dark-complexioned
Pretinha: Black - either young, or small
Puxa-para-branco: Somewhat toward white
Quase-negra: Almost negro
Queimada: Sunburnt
Queimada-de-praia: Beach sunburnt
Queimada-de-sol: Sunburnt
Regular: Regular, normal
Retinta: Deep-dyed, very dark
Rosa: Rose-coloured (or the rose itself)
Rosada: Rosy
Rosa-queimada: Sunburnt-rosy
Roxa: Purple
Ruiva: Redhead
Russo: Russian
Sapecada: Singed
Sarara: Yellow-haired negro
Sarauba (poss. dialect): Untranslatable
Tostada: Toasted
Trigo: Wheat
Trigueira: Brunette
Turva: Murky
Verde: Green
Vermelha: Red
