brilhar

Forms

brilhar (first-person singular present brilho, first-person singular preterite brilhei, past participle brilhado)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Spanish brillar, from Italian brillare (“to sparkle”), in the view of Houaiss, Cunha and Aurélio;^{[2][3][4][1][5]} Wiktionary and the dictionary of the Lisbon Academy take it straight from the Italian.^{[2][3][4][1][5]} The Spanish verb is first recorded in 1617–1618 as a poetic Italianism, and the Italian one spread to French briller as well.^[6][7]

The origin of the Italian verb is disputed.^[7][6] Corominas and Nocentini see an expressive or imitative formation, which fits its older senses “to spin, to tremble”.^[6][7] The older explanation, still given by Wiktionary, derives it from Latin bēryllus (“beryl”), as “to sparkle like a beryl”, through a form *brillo.^[1] Nascentes, Machado and Vieira follow it, and Bluteau in 1712 already offered the beryl among other explanations.^{[8][9][10][11]} Nocentini rejects it because it does not account for the range of senses or for the forms.^[7]

Silva Bastos and Figueiredo explained the verb as formed on brilho.^[12][13] Cunha's dates make the noun the later word.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Machado's first quotation is from the 17th-century Academia dos Singulares, in which the greater stars are said to keep others from shining (as não possam brilhar).^[9] Pereira's dictionary of 1697 renders it with Latin scintillo “to sparkle”.^[14]

Semantic evolution

Bluteau describes it as giving out a sparkling light, and says that among precious stones it is said first of all of the diamond.^[11] Folqman in 1755 already has the figurative sense, virtue or eloquence that shines in someone.^[15] Morais in 1789 lists the stars and the diamond, the sea struck by the sun, and figuratively the gifts of the mind, virtues, splendidly dressed people and lively eyes.^[16]

The derivatives followed in the 18th and 19th centuries: brilhante “shining” in the 17th century and “cut diamond” by 1813, brilho and abrilhantar in 1813, brilhantismo in 1836–1844 and brilhantina in 1881.^[3] The ironic phrase brilhar pela ausência “to be conspicuous by one's absence” matches the Italian brillare per la propria assenza, recorded in 1877.^[17][18]

Timeline

• 1617 – first record of Spanish brillar.^[6]
• 17th century – brilhar in the Academia dos Singulares.^[9][2]
• 1697 – Pereira's Thesouro lists Brilhar.^[14]
• 1712 – Bluteau derives it from berillo, the beryl.^[11]
• 1789 – Morais records the figurative sense of talents and virtues.^[16]
• 1813 – first record of brilho and abrilhantar.^[3]

Meanings

Verb

1. (intransitive) To shine, to give out light: As luzes da cidade brilhavam ao longe.^[2][4][1]
2. (intransitive) To sparkle or flicker; to reflect light: O anel brilhava à luz da vela.^[2][5]
3. (intransitive, figurative) To excel, to stand out: Ela brilhou no concurso de piano.^[2][4][1]
4. (intransitive, figurative) To show, to be visible in someone's look or manner: A alegria brilhava-lhe no rosto.^[4][17]

Word family

• brilho
• brilhante
• abrilhantar
• brilhantina
• brilhantismo
• rebrilhar
• brilharete

Related words

• Spanish brillar
• Italian brillare
• French briller

Usage notes

Brilhar pela ausência is used ironically of someone who fails to turn up where they are expected.^[17]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. brilhar
3. ^ a b c d e Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. brilhar
4. ^ a b c d e Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. brilhar
5. ^ a b c Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. brilhar
6. ^ a b c d Corominas, Joan; Pascual, José A. (1980–1991), Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, 6 vols., Madrid: Gredos, p. 1, 665
7. ^ a b c d Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
8. ^ Nascentes, Antenor (1955), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, vol. 1: Nomes comuns, Rio de Janeiro (1st ed. 1932, preface by W. Meyer-Lübke), p. 79
9. ^ a b c Machado, José Pedro (1987), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., 5 vols., Lisboa: Livros Horizonte, p. s.v. brilhar
10. ^ Vieira, Frei Domingos (1871–1874), Grande Diccionario Portuguez ou Thesouro da lingua portugueza, 5 vols., Porto: Ernesto Chardron e Bartholomeu H. de Moraes, p. 1, 822
11. ^ a b c Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. brilhar
12. ^ Silva Bastos, José Timóteo da (1912), Diccionario etymologico, prosodico e orthographico da lingua portugueza, Lisboa: Parceria António Maria Pereira, p. s.v. brilhar
13. ^ Figueiredo, Cândido de (1899), Novo diccionário da língua portuguesa, 1st ed., 2 vols., Lisboa: Tavares Cardoso & Irmão, p. s.v. brilhar
14. ^ a b Pereira, Bento (1697), Thesouro da lingoa portuguesa, in the 1697 edition of his Prosodia (1st ed. 1647; CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. brilhar
15. ^ Folqman, Carlos (1755), Diccionario portuguez, e latino, Lisboa: Régia Officina Silviana (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. brilhar
16. ^ a b Silva, António de Morais (1789), Diccionario da lingua portugueza composto pelo padre D. Rafael Bluteau, reformado, e accrescentado, 2 vols., Lisboa: Simão Thaddeo Ferreira, p. 1, 198
17. ^ a b c Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. brilhar
18. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli