From their artisan cheese to their coffee and cachaça, Mineiros (residents of Minas Gerais) are well-known throughout Brazil for their food and drink. Their habits extend to not only what goes into their mouth, but what comes out of it. Let’s take a little look at two terms that Mineiros made famous: uai and trem.
Uai
There are three explanations for “uai”. The first says it derives from the 1800′s when the English built the railways in Minas, though the idea that Brits frequently said “why” as a catchphrase just doesn’t add up. The second explanation says that at the time of the Mineiro Uprising, the way to enter a conspirator’s hideout was via three knocks and the word UAI, which meant Union, Love and Independence (União, Amor e Independência). The last and, what I consider to be the most likely, is that “uai” is just a mutation of the common Paulista exclamation, “ué”.
An uncomplicated explanation of the term would simply be, “uai é uai, uai!” Agreed, uai is uai…unless, of course, you happen to be an English teacher in Minas Gerais, never knowing if your students are asking “why?” or saying “uai”.
Trem
Together with “uai”, the word “trem” (train) is frequently used by people from Minas. The origin is said to be connected, once more, with the era of the construction of the railways in the state. Being that a locomotive train was completely new to most Mineiros, they began to associate them with vehicles that transport their goods. Apparently, the word was used more to speak of the goods and objects the train carried and not solely the railroad cars themselves. In this sense, it is easy to imagine how “trem” came to signify any and every object, despite if it were being transported on a train or not.
As to the question of why Mineiros never miss the train, the answer is they never miss it because they always take it with them wherever they go!
Watch and learn (in PT)
Originally written for Street Smart Brazil
“The first says it derives from the 1700′s when the English built the railways in Minas,”
Whilst I am proud to say that we (British) invented trains and railways and also built them all over the place, no doubt including Brazil, your dates seem unlikely:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport
Thanks, Steve. I suppose I hit a 7 instead of an 8 there.
Its a pleasure. You’ve written a fascinating blog.
O/T I have used your Deolinda Mal por Mal lyrics page a number of times to find the translation for Portuguese language songs. I can’t find anything by Sabrina Malheiros there though. You wouldn’t know where I can find the lyrics for ‘Terra de Ninguem’ by Sabrina Malheiros would you?
Thanks again, glad to know you are enjoying the blog. I found the lyrics in PT
Segue nessa marcha triste
Seu caminho aflito
Leva só saudade e a injustiça
Que só lhe foi feita desde que nasceu
Pelo mundo inteiro que nada lhe deu
Anda,teu caminho é longo
Cheio de incerteza
Tudo é só pobreza,tudo é só tristeza
Tudo é terra morta
Onde a terra é boa
O senhor é dono
Não deixa passar
Pára no fim da tarde
Tomba já cansado
Cai o nordestino
Reza uma oração
Pra voltar um dia
E criar coragem
Pra poder lutar pelo que é seu
Mas,um dia vai chegar
Que o mundo vai saber
Não se vive sem se dar
Quem trabalha é quem tem
Direito de viver
Pois a terra é de ninguém
And the Google Translate version which is so-so…
Follow this sad march
Its way afflicted
It takes just misses and injustice
What has been done only since birth
All over the world that nothing has
Come on, your journey is over
Full of uncertainty
Everything is just poverty, it’s just sad
Everything is dead land
Where land is good
You are owner
Do not miss
Stops in the evening
Tomba already tired
Falls Northeast
Pray a prayer
To come back one day
And take courage
To be able to fight for what is his
But a day will come
That the world will know
No one lives without being
Who is who has worked
Right to live
For the land is of no one
Thats brilliant.
Cheers. Thanks for that.
Great stuff. Keep em coming!
Oii Adam , como esta vc??? Adorei o seu artigo sobre Minas…. para qual cidade vc foi em Minas?? T enviei alguns emails… me responde estou no Brasil agora . Ate mais
Carine Dias