Caipira is a Brazilian Portuguese term used to designate inhabitants of rural, remote areas in some brazilian states, particularly São Paulo, Minas Gerais and the western brazilian states. It can be considered pejorative when used to describe others, but it can also be used as a self-identifier without negative connotations. It is similar in meaning and usage to the U.S. words hillbilly and redneck. It often carries the connotation of an uneducated (at times naïve or even stupid) person, and someone who can't speak proper Portuguese (see below). In festas juninas it is traditional in some areas for people who are not considered as such to dress up as stereotypical Caipiras. Brazilian Portuguese is a collective name for the varieties of Portuguese written and spoken by virtually all the 180 million inhabitants of Brazil and by a couple million Brazilian immigrants and temporary workers in other countries, mainly in Canada, United States, Portugal, Paraguay and Japan. ... The title of this article contains the character ã. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Sao Paulo. ... Flag of Minas Gerais See other Brazilian States Capital Belo Horizonte Largest City Belo Horizonte Area 586,528. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Hillbilly is a term for people who dwell in remote, rural, mountainous areas. ... The cast of The Dukes of Hazzard, representing a diverse assortment of Redneck stereotypes. ... Caipira is a dialect of the Portuguese language spoken in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. ... The Festa Junina (Portuguese; June Festival in English) are annual Brazilian celebrations which take place in the middle of winter and are most associated with Brazils Northeast. ...

By extension, it is also used as a name for a dialect or group of dialects of the Portuguese language spoken in the states of São Paulo and neighbouring areas in Mato Grosso do Sul, Goiás, south of Minas Gerais and north of Paraná, Brazil. Portuguese ( (help· info)) is an Iberian Romance language originated in Portugal and Galicia, which is now the main language also of Angola, Brazil, Mozambique, Cape Verde and several other African and Asian nations, and an important second language in many other countries. ... Flag of São Paulo See other Brazilian States Capital São Paulo Largest City São Paulo Area 248,176. ... Flag of Mato Grosso do Sul See other Brazilian States Capital Campo Grande Largest City Campo Grande Area 358,158. ... Flag of Goiás See other Brazilian States Capital Goiânia Largest City Goiânia Area 341 289 km² Population   - Total   - Density 4 848 725 14. ... Flag of Minas Gerais See other Brazilian States Capital Belo Horizonte Largest City Belo Horizonte Area 586,528. ... Flag of Paraná See other Brazilian States Capital Curitiba Largest City Curitiba Area 199,544 km² Population   - Total   - Density 9,150,000 48 inh. ...

Dialect

Although the Caipira dialect originated in São Paulo and is also sometimes called Paulista, the current language in São Paulo City, capital of the state of São Paulo, is a separate variety that bears some resemblance to Caipira but is much more closely related to standard Portuguese. Caipira is spoken mostly in the countryside. The title of this article contains the character ã. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Sao Paulo. ... The title of this article contains the character ã. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Sao Paulo. ...

Phonetically, the most important differences in comparison with standard Portuguese are the retroflexive "r", like in English, and the absence of the palatal "l", written "lh" in Portuguese, which in Caipira is pronounced like "i." The "l" is frequently modified into "r" (rhotacism), e. g.: Portuguese "flor" <-> Caipira "frô" (flower); Portuguese "ridículo" <-> Caipira "ridicro" or "ridico" (ridiculous). There are some other significant changes, as in the following examples: Portuguese "música" <-> Caipira "musga" (music); Portuguese "acreditar" <-> Caipira "querditá" (to believe); Portuguese "voar" <-> Caipira "avuá" (to fly); Portuguese "Inglaterra" <-> Caipira "Ingalaterra" (England); Portuguese "cruz" <-> Caipira "cruiz" (cross); Portuguese "ganhamos"; Caipira "ganhemo" (we won). Despite these differences, a speaker of standard Portuguese has no great difficulty understanding Caipira.

There are some significant differences in Caipira grammar. For example, in plural forms only the article or pronoun is inflected, and the adjective often remains uninflected, e. g.: Portuguese: "essas coisas bonitas" <-> Caipira: "essas coisarada bunito" (these beautiful things) - although "essas coisarada bunita" is also common. There are also two negative adverbs: "não", in the short replies, and "num" for negative phrases. (In standard Portuguese only the adverb "não" is used.)

Like other Portuguese dialects in Brazil, Caipira was never considered a separate language. Only a few texts in Caipira exist, and there is no official standard for the written language.

External links

"O Dialeto Caipira", by Amadeu Amaral (in Portuguese) http://www.biblio.com.br/Templates/AmadeuAmaral/modialetocaipira.htm