Ladino

Adjective

preto ? ‎(Latin spelling)

1. black

Old Portuguese

Etymology

From earlier *apreto, from apretar, from Late Latin appectorāre, from Latin pectus ‎(“chest”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɾɛ.to/

Adjective

preto m ‎(plural pretos, feminine preta, feminine plural pretas)

1. black

Synonyms

• negro

Descendants

• Portuguese: preto
  • Ladino: preto
  • Papiamentu: pretu

Adverb

preto

1. near
   • 13th century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 325 (facsimile):

     […] que pã nõ comeu nẽ bocado nen beueu agua nẽ uẏo ata que preto de Silve foi quando aluzeçia.

     […] that she didn’t eat bread nor morsel, neither drank water nor wine until she was near Silves during sunrise.

Descendants

• Galician: preto
• Portuguese: perto

See also

Portuguese

preto

Alternative forms

• prêto (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese preto ‎(“black, near”), from earlier *apreto, from apretar (Modern Portuguese apertar), from Late Latin appectorāre, from Latin pectus ‎(“chest”).

Compare Asturian and Leonese prietu and Spanish prieto.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal, Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɾe.tu/
• Hyphenation: pre‧to

Adjective

preto m ‎(feminine singular preta, masculine plural pretos, feminine plural pretas, comparable)

1. black; black in colour

   Tecido preto esquenta mais rápido.‎

   Black cloth heats up more quickly

2. (idiomatic, of situations) bad; very adverse

   A coisa está preta.‎

   The current situation is bad.

3. (pejorative, of a person) black (dark-skinned)

   Uma mulher preta passou por aqui.‎

   A black woman was here.

4. (loosely) being the darkest of its kind

   pão preto‎ ― rye bread

   peças pretas de xadrez‎ ― black chess pieces

   nuvem preta‎ ― black cloud

Synonyms

• (black in colour): negro
• (dark-skinned): negro

Derived terms

• pretinho (diminutive)
• pretão (augmentative)

Noun

preto m (plural pretos, feminine preta, feminine plural pretas)

1. the color black

   O preto é a mais escura das cores.‎

   Black is the darkest colour.

2. (derogatory) a black man

   Uma preta passou por aqui.‎

   A black woman was here.

3. black clothing

   Pessoas em luto se vestem de preto.‎

   Mourners dress in black.

Synonyms

• (the colour black): negro
• (black man): negro, macaco (pejorative), tição (pejorative)
• (black clothing): negro

Derived terms

• pretinho (diminutive)
• pretão (augmentative)

Descendants

• Angolar: peetu
• Guinea-Bissau Creole: pretu
• Indo-Portuguese: prato
• Kabuverdianu: prétu
• Korlai Creole Portuguese: pret
• Ladino: preto
• Kristang: pretu
• Papiamentu: pretu
• Principense: peetu
• Sãotomense: pletu

See also