embi'u

Old Tupi

Alternative forms

• emi'u, mi'u

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *emiʔu. By surface analysis, emi- (passive marker) +‎ 'u (“to eat”).

Cognate with Paraguayan Guaraní tembi'u.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eᵐbiˈʔu/
• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: e‧mbi‧'u

Noun

embi'u (possessable, IIa class pluriform, absolute tembi'u, R1 rembi'u, R2 sembi'u)

1. food; meal; dish

   Synonym: i 'upyra

   • 1557, Hans Staden, chapter XXI, in Warhaftige [Hiſtoria und] beſchꝛeibung eyner Landtſchafft der wilden nacketen/grimmigen menſchfreſſer leuthen/in der newenwelt America gelegen [True history and description of a land of wild, naked, fierce man-eating people located in the New World of America] (overall work in German), Marburg: Andreas Kolbe, unnumbered page:

     A Juneſche been ermi vramme

     [Aîune ixé, pe remi'urama.]

     I come, your future food.

   • 1618, Antônio de Araújo, “Do ſinal da Sancta Cruz, & mais oraçoens” (chapter I), in Cateciſmo na Lingoa Braſilica [Catechism in the Brazilian Language], Livro Primeiro da Doctrina Christam (overall work in Old Tupi, Portuguese, and Latin), Lisbon: Pedro Crasbeeck, Padre noſso, page 13v:

     Orê remiu
     Ara yabiõ ndoâra
     Eimeeng cori orebe.

     [Oré remi'u / 'ara îabi'õndûara / eîme'eng kori orébe.]

     Give us this day our daily bread.

     (literally, “Give us today our daily food.”)

Further reading

• Eduardo de Almeida Navarro (2013) “embi'u”, in Dicionário de tupi antigo: a língua indígena clássica do Brasil [Dictionary of Old Tupi: The Classical Indigenous Language of Brazil] (overall work in Portuguese), São Paulo: Global, →ISBN, page 98, column 2