Old Portuguese

Noun

chão m ‎(plural chãos)

1. ground, floor
   • 13th century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 236 (facsimile):

     Como hũa moller que perigoóu no mar. ⁊ tragia un fillo pequeno nos braços. ⁊ fezea ſanta maria per címa das aguas andar de pé aſſi como ẏria per un muí bon chão.

     How a woman who sank in the sea. And had a small child in her arms. And Holy Mary brought her over the water to walk as she would in a good floor.

Related terms

• prão

Descendants

• Galician: chan
• Portuguese: chão

Etymology 2

From Latin plānus ‎(“flat”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- ‎(“flat”).

Adjective

chão m ‎(feminine chãa, plural chãos)

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

     Pois a Catiua eſperta. / foi achouſſ en űu camỹo / ancho ⁊ chão ſen pedras / ⁊ andou o mui feſtỹno

     So the smart captive / went and found herself in a path, / ample and flat, without rocks, / and walked through it very quickly.

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• tchão (eye dialect, North Portugal)
• cham (obsolete)
• chaõ (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese chão ‎(“ground”), inherited from Latin plānum ‎(“level ground”) < plānus, from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- ‎(“flat”). Compare Spanish llano. See also the borrowed doublet plano and the semi-learned porão.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal, Brazil) IPA^(key): /ʃɐ̃w̃/
• Rhymes: -ɐ̃w̃

Noun

chão m (plural chãos)

1. ground
2. floor

Synonyms

• (floor) assoalho m, piso m

Related terms

• plano
• rés do chão