milheiro

milheiro¹ a thousand

Pronunciation

• [miˈʎei̯ɾo̞], [miˈʎei̯ɾʉ], [miˈʎei̯ɾu]^[1]

Forms

milheiro m (plural milheiros)^[1]

Etymology

The word for a thousand is inherited from Latin milliarius (“containing a thousand”), or its neuter milliārium “a number of a thousand”.^[2][3][4][1] The adjective is formed on mīlle (“thousand”) with the suffix -ārius.^[1] The same Latin word is Spanish mijero, Italian migliaio, French millier and Galician milleiro.^[4][5][1] Wiktionary adds that by surface analysis it is milhar + -eiro.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss dates the word to the 13th century after Cunha, in the spelling myleiro, with milheiro and milheyro in the 14th.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The word has been used above all for goods counted and sold by the thousand: Bluteau's example is a thousand oranges, Morais's bricks and tiles, and Aurélio names plants, fruit and sardines.^[6][7][8] The old Caldas Aulete adds the extended sense “a large, indefinite number”, as in aos milheiros.^[9] Wiktionary marks the loose sense “a thousand” as northern Portuguese.^[1]

Timeline

• 13th century – myleiro.^[2]
• 14th century – milheiro and milheyro.^[2]
• 1629 – a private letter has milheiros.^[10]
• 1712–1728 – Bluteau: the number of a thousand.^[6]
• 1789 – Morais: hum milheiro de tijolos.^[7]

Meanings

Noun

1. A thousand, a group of a thousand like units, in the counting of goods sold by the piece (milhar).^{[2][8][11][1]}
2. (by extension) A large, indefinite number.^[11][9]

milheiro² maize plant

Etymology tree of milheiro²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin milium

French mil

Italian miglio

Portuguese milho

Portuguese milheiro

Spanish mijo

From the same root · milheiro²

Portuguese milhão ← milho

Pronunciation

• [miˈʎei̯ɾo̞], [miˈʎei̯ɾʉ], [miˈʎei̯ɾu]^[1]

Forms

milheiro m (plural milheiros)^[2]

Etymology

The word for the maize plant is formed from Portuguese milho + -eiro.^{[2][3][8][11]} Houaiss considers its link with the sense “a black grape variety” only a supposition, and notes that Latin had an adjective miliārius (“of millet”).^[2] The noun milho is from Latin milium (“millet”).^[12][13]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss's date of 1712 is for the viticultural sense, a variety of black grape.^[2] Cunha records the sense “maize plant” from 1881.^[13]

Semantic evolution

Vieira (1871–1874) knows the word only as a grape variety, also called farmeido.^[14] The old Caldas Aulete gives the maize plant, the stalk on which the cob grows, the grape and two bird names, milheiriça and pintarroxo.^[9] In Portugal the dialect surveys record it for a maize plant, a stalk stripped of its cobs and a field of maize.^[15]

Timeline

• 1712 – first record, for the grape variety.^[2]
• 1871–1874 – Vieira: a grape variety.^[14]
• 1881 – the sense “maize plant”.^[13]

Meanings

Noun

1. (botany) The maize plant; a maize stalk (milho).^[2][8][11]
2. (viticulture) A variety of black grape.^[2][16]
3. (Portugal, regional) A field of maize.^[15][17]
4. (zoology) The linnet (pintarroxo); also the corn bunting (milheiriça).^[11][18]

Word family

• milheiral
• milheirada