'yporu

Old Tupi

The idea of a flood was part of the Tupi cosmology before the arrival of the Europeans.

Etymology

From 'y (“water”) +‎ poru (“man-eater”). Cognate with Guaraní yporu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔɨ.pɔ.ɾu]
• Rhymes: -u
• Hyphenation: 'y‧po‧ru

Noun

'yporu (?)

1. deluge, flood
   • 1618, Antônio de Araújo, chapter VII, in Cateciſmo na Lingoa Braſilica [Catechism in the Brazilian Language], Livro Sexto do Confessionário [… ] (overall work in Old Tupi, Portuguese, and Latin), Lisbon: Pedro Crasbeeck, page 106v:

     Moropotâra recè Pay Tûpã opab erimbaè ibí pôra apîâba, cunhã abè igporû popè ymocanhemi, Anhanga ratâpe ceitîca, auyerâmanhe. Oitonhõ onheenga rupí tecoára oporômonhang baeráma raucûbâ, igporû çupe ymonhã canhemucãreîma.

     [Moropotara resé, pa'i Tupã opab erimba'e yby pora, apŷaba, kunhã abé, 'yporu pupé i mokanhemi, Anhanga ratápe seîtyka aûîeramanhẽ, oito nhõ o nhe'enga rupi tekoara oporomonhangyba'erama raûsubá, 'yporu supé i mokanhemukare'yma.]

     Because of lust, the lord God once all the inhabitants of the earth, men, women as well, with a flood destroyed them, casting them into the fire of the Devil forever, having compassion only on eight who lived according to his own word and who would bear children, not letting the flood destroy them.

Further reading

• Eduardo de Almeida Navarro (2013) “'yporu”, 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 531, column 1