paraiba do sul
paraiba do sul Lexical Profile
• noun
A major river in southeastern Brazil that flows through the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean; it is historically significant for its role in the 19th-century coffee boom and remains a critical source of hydroelectric power and drinking water.
"The Paraíba do Sul provides essential drinking water to millions of residents in the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area."
A municipality located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, situated along the banks of the river of the same name.
"During the 19th century, the town of Paraíba do Sul became highly prosperous due to the booming coffee trade in the region."
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Portuguese. The word 'Paraíba' comes from the indigenous Tupi language ('pará' meaning river and 'aíba' meaning bad, difficult to navigate, or shallow). The suffix 'do sul' (of the south) was added to distinguish it from the northern Brazilian river and state of the same name.