Caipiras ( in
Caipira dialect
Caipira (Caipira pronunciation: ajˈpiɹɐor ajˈpiɹ ) is a dialect of the Portuguese language spoken in localities of Caipira influence, mainly in the interior of the state of São Paulo, in the eastern south of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the ...
) are the traditional population of the Brazilian
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
of
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
. Later, with the expansion of São Paulo's influence to other regions of the country, other states also had Caipiras in their localities, like
Goiás
Goiás () is a Brazilian States of Brazil, state located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District (Brazil), Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Ge ...
, Minas Gerais,
Mato Grosso
Mato Grosso ( – ) is one of the states of Brazil, the List of Brazilian states by area, third largest by area, located in the Central-West Region, Brazil, Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible ...
, Mato Grosso do Sul, and
Paraná Paraná, Paranã or Parana may refer to:
Geology
* Paraná Basin, a sedimentary basin in South America
Places In Argentina
*Paraná, Entre Ríos, a city
* Paraná Department, a part of Entre Ríos Province
In Brazil
*Paraná (state), a state ...
. All the regions where
Caipira culture
The Caipira culture refers to the traditional characteristics of the state of São Paulo and regions initially influenced by Paulista exploration activities, geographically considered part of the cultural region of Paulistania, which encompasses ...
predominates are grouped into a
cultural area
In anthropology and geography, a cultural area, cultural region, cultural sphere, or culture area refers to a geography with one relatively homogeneous human activity or complex of activities (culture). Such activities are often associa ...
, known since the 20th century as
Paulistania. During the period of the
Colonial Brazil
Colonial Brazil (), sometimes referred to as Portuguese America, comprises the period from 1500, with the Discovery of Brazil, arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves ...
, the Caipiras were speakers of the
Paulista General Language
The Paulista General Language, also called Southern General Language and Austral Tupi, was a lingua franca and creole language formed in the 16th century, in the Captaincy of São Vicente. Today it is only of historical interest, as it has been ...
, today a
dead language
An extinct language or dead language is a language with no living native speakers. A dormant language is a dead language that still serves as a symbol of ethnic identity to an ethnic group; these languages are often undergoing a process of re ...
; currently, they have their
own dialect, which preserves elements of this language and
Medieval Galician. The Caipira and its culture is considered by intellectuals as an evolution of the old
Paulista
Paulista is a municipality in Pernambuco, Brazil, with a population of 334,376 as of 2020. It has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) of the Recife metropolitan area. It is the birthplace of footballer Rivaldo and is also famous for its be ...
society and the
Bandeirante
''Bandeirantes'' (; ; singular: ''bandeirante'') were settlers in colonial Brazil who participated in expeditions to expand the colony's borders and subjugate indigenous peoples during the early modern period. They played a major role in exp ...
culture.
Origin and etymology
The first Caipiras were the
Bandeirantes
''Bandeirantes'' (; ; singular: ''bandeirante'') were settlers in colonial Brazil who participated in expeditions to expand the colony's borders and subjugate Indigenous peoples in Brazil, indigenous peoples during the early modern period. T ...
, a group of explorers who set out from
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, exploring the backlands in search of metals and precious stones. When they came into contact with the Guaianás, an
indigenous people
There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
who inhabited the Medio Tietê region, in the
interior of São Paulo
The interior of São Paulo is an informal term to describe the zone that covers the entire area of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo outside the Greater São Paulo, Metropolitan Region and the coast of São Paulo. The interior stands ou ...
, they received the name "Caipiras," which became a synonym for
Paulista
Paulista is a municipality in Pernambuco, Brazil, with a population of 334,376 as of 2020. It has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) of the Recife metropolitan area. It is the birthplace of footballer Rivaldo and is also famous for its be ...
, a similar case to that of the
gaucho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the southern part of Bolivia, and the south of Chilean Patago ...
, which in Brazil became a synonym for
''Rio-grandense''.
There are various theories as to the true meaning of 'Caipira.' The oldest definition was made by Baptista Caetano d'Almeida in the 19th century, describing it as a combination of the terms "''cai''" (burnt) + "''pira''" (skin), which in
Tupi perhaps describes the tanned or dark skin of the Caipira colonizers.
For
Luís de Câmara Cascudo, in his book ''Dictionary of Brazilian Folklore'', published since 1954, the origin may lie in "''caá''" (jungle) + "''pora''" (inhabitant), which means "inhabitant of the jungle" in Tupi; the same work, however, describes the Caipira in a stereotyped way, as a "poorly educated man or woman," and erroneously compares him or her with other peoples, such as the
Caiçaras
Caiçaras () are a people who inhabit the coastlines of the Brazil, Brazilian states of Paraná (state), Paraná, São Paulo (state), São Paulo and Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, and the municipalities of Paraty and Angra dos Reis, in the ...
.
See also
*
Caipira culture
The Caipira culture refers to the traditional characteristics of the state of São Paulo and regions initially influenced by Paulista exploration activities, geographically considered part of the cultural region of Paulistania, which encompasses ...
*
Caboclo
A caboclo () is a person of mixed Indigenous Brazilian and European ancestry, or, less commonly, a culturally assimilated or detribalized person of full Amerindian descent. In Brazil, a ''caboclo'' generally refers to this specific type of ' ...
s
*
Caipira dialect
Caipira (Caipira pronunciation: ajˈpiɹɐor ajˈpiɹ ) is a dialect of the Portuguese language spoken in localities of Caipira influence, mainly in the interior of the state of São Paulo, in the eastern south of Mato Grosso do Sul, in the ...
*
Caipira guitar
*
Caipira music
Caipira is a musical style of the Caipira culture, which originated in São Paulo, during the period of Portuguese colonization. The theme of the Caipira style, performed mainly to the accompaniment of a Caipira guitar, is especially based on li ...
*
Caipirinha
Caipirinha () is a Brazilian cocktail, of São Paulo (state), São Paulo origin, with cachaça (sugarcane hard liquor), sugar, Lime (fruit), lime, and ice. The drink is prepared by mixing the fruit and the sugar together, then adding the liquor. ...
, alcoholic drink whose name is a diminutive of ''caipira''.
*
Caiçaras
Caiçaras () are a people who inhabit the coastlines of the Brazil, Brazilian states of Paraná (state), Paraná, São Paulo (state), São Paulo and Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, and the municipalities of Paraty and Angra dos Reis, in the ...
*
Gaucho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the southern part of Bolivia, and the south of Chilean Patago ...
s
*
Sertanejo people The Sertanejos are people linked to livestock farming and agriculture in the Sertão sub-region of Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of Brazil and in the Agreste areas of Caatinga. The emergence of the Sertanejos dates back to the 16th cent ...
*
Ribeirinhos
The Ribeirinhos are a traditional rural population in the Amazon rainforest, who live near rivers. Their main activities are fishing and farming on a small scale, for their own use. They usually live in pile dwellings and travel by motor boats ...
Citations
General and cited references
*
Cândido, Antônio. ''Os parceiros do Rio Bonito'' Sp, José Olympio, 1957.
* Monteiro Lobato, José Bento de. ''Urupês'', Editora Monteiro Lobato e Cia., 1923.
* Nepomuceno, Rosa. ''Música Caipira, da roça ao rodeio'', Editora 34, 1999.
* Queiróz, Renato da Silva. ''Caipiras Negros no Vale do Ribeira'', Editora da USP, 1983.
* Pires, Cornélio. ''Conversas ao pé do fogo'' – IMESP, edição fac-similar, 1984.
Brazilian folklore
Traditional peoples in Brazil
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