alcanzia

Portuguese
FWOTD – 12 July 2014

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic اَلْكَنْزِيَّة (al-kanziyya, “treasure; stacking; amass”), from كَنْز (kanz, “treasure”), from an Iranian language; compare Persian گنج (ganj) and Old Median *ganza-bara-.

Pronunciation
 
  • (Brazil) IPA(key): /aw.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ/ [aʊ̯.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ]
    • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /aw.kɐ̃ˈzi.a/ [aʊ̯.kɐ̃ˈzi.a]
  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /al.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ/ [aɫ.kɐ̃ˈzi.ɐ]

Noun

alcanzia f (plural alcanzias)

  1. (historical) a small earthen ball filled with flowers, ashes and colourful strips thrown by horsemen at each other during jousts
    • 1984, Niomar de Souza Pereira, Cavalhadas no Brasil: de cortejo a cavalo a lutas de Mouros e Cristãos, Escola de Folclore, page 22:
      […] , que carregam, nos surrões de couro, as lanças, postes de argolinha, cabeças de massa, alcanzias etc.
      […] , that they carry, in leather bags, the lances, hoop posts, mortar heads, earthen balls, etc.
  2. (historical) an earthen grenade
    • 1865, Memorias da Academia Real das Sciencias de Lisboa, volume 3, part 2, page 41:
      Continuavam os inimigos a deitar no cavalleiro immensas panellas e alcanzias de polvora, […]
      The enemies kept hurling huge pans and grenades with gunpowder at the knight, […]
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