# Italian vs portuguese galera



## Youngfun

About this false friend _galera: _in Italian it means prison, in Portuguese (al least in the Brasilian variety) it means crowd, a lot of people.

Are they cognate? Do they share the same etymology? If yes, what caused this shift of meaning?


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## e2-e4 X

... and in both it makes a reference to an antique ship, in which a crowd of imprisoned or enslaved people does a very hard job of rowing in order to make the ship move, right? At least, in Russian this is the only meaning of the word "галера" ("galera").


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## SanktGonçalsburg

In Brazilian Portuguese too the word galera has the meaning of a rowing prison ship. It's fallen out of use for obvious reasons, but you can find it employed as such in literature. As a native speaker, I've always assumed the "crowd/gang" meaning was derived from the original just for being a group of people/prisoners.


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## merquiades

I'm not sure how the French word "galère" fits in, but it's related to Italian and Portuguese in etymology and slightly in the meanings you have evoked.

Quelle galère!   That tough, really hell, difficult situation to cope with
C'est la galère!   It's hell, awful
Être dans la même galère    To be (all together) in the same slave ship, in the same predicament 
Galérer   To struggle, have a real hard time,  or work like a slave and find it hard to get ahead
Les galères   Galleys


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## aprendiendo argento

*Galera *can also mean a mess in Italian (_bagunça _in Portuguese): _Questa casa è una galera._


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## Montesacro

aprendiendo argento said:


> *Galera *can also mean a mess in Italian (_bagunça _in Portuguese): _Questa casa è una galera._





No, it can't.


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## aprendiendo argento

1ga·lè·ra


> s.f.
> 1a. TS st.mar. ® 1galea
> 1b. TS stor. pena assegnata ai colpevoli di delitti capitali che consisteva nell'assegnazione ai remi di tali navi
> 2. AU estens., carcere, prigione: andare in galera, scontare due anni in galera
> 3. AU fig., luogo, condizione di vita insopportabile: questa casa è una galera
> 4. CO spazzolone pesante con manico snodabile e piastra metallica per lucidare i pavimenti
> 5. TS itt.com. ® bandiera rossa


 (Dizionario Italiano de Mauro; edizione CD-ROM)


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## Montesacro

None of the five definitions listed above means "_a mess_".

Are you aware of that?


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## aprendiendo argento

MESS


> a situation that is very complicated or difficult to deal with


http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/mess


> luogo, condizione di vita insopportabile



Pretty close, if you ask me, are you aware of that?


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## Montesacro

aprendiendo argento said:


> MESS
> 
> http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/mess
> 
> 
> Pretty close, if you ask me, are you aware of that?



Definitely not close.
On the contrary, I would say rather far.


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## merquiades

I would suggest using another word than mess.  The problem with that word is it's so ambiguous in English it could include almost anything ranging from something tangible and dirty, disgusting to a much more figurative meaning of a disorganized topsy turvy lifestyle.  It would be more like mess in the latter acception but better find another word to be precise.
Back to the question of the thread, the meanings of "Galera" in Italian don't seem to me to be that different from what we see in other romance languages like French.  I'd suggest chaotic hectic life with a lot of struggling going on, chaos, struggle, pain, nightmare, hard existence, ordeal...


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## Forero

Do _galea_, _galera_, and _galeria_ have a common origin? What meaning(s) do they share?


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## Youngfun

Thanks e2-e4 X, simple but efficient explanation!

Sometimes words in different languages that apparently don't have link in the meanings at all, a little association is enough to make sense. In this case, a ship.
I had completely forgot about the ship Galera, I've even learnt the different kinds of ships when I was a child.


Forero said:


> Do _galea_, _galera_, and _galeria_ have a common origin? What meaning(s) do they share?


Galea and galera yes. Galea was a fonetic mutation.
Unfortunately I don't have idea of what Galeria means, you have to ask someone more proficient in Italian than me... but Galeria is very common in geographical names.

@aprediendo argento:
I wouldn't say galera means mess, but rather is equivalent to "a hell, a nightmare". When you feel to have no freedom, just like a prison.


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## merquiades

Speaking of "galería/galerie", I checked the etymology in Spanish (rae) and French (cnrtl).  It would appear they both have origins in Medieval Latin _galeria_ meaning "porch, portico, atrium" probably from older _Galilaea_ "church/ monastery porch" or also referring to region of Galilee (country of the Gentiles).  People converted at the porch, and you passed through there to enter into the church/christianity.  Quite a long evolution of a word, but apparently not related at all to _galera_<_galea_ (battleship, galley)

I wonder if the English "gale", derives from _galea_.  Violent storm at sea, high winds... ship, difficulty to get through, hell...  I see similarities.


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## Alderamin

In European Portuguese "galera" isn't used with same meaning of Brazilian Portuguese as "crowd" or "group of people".
For us, the term is a nautical term, meaning a type of ship with origins in the Mediterranean region. 
It's a three or more masts sailing ship rigged with round sails, and it was used in the past for piracy, trade, and war purposes.
_Ben-Hur_ movie shows the life of the prisoners of war in the galleys, working as rowers.
The origin of "galera" and/or "galé" (in Portuguese) has sparked controversy.
 Some people say that comes from the Latin word "galea" while others  claim it to be derived from the medieval Greek word "galaia" meaning  "helmet".


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## Youngfun

@merquiades:
When you talk about "galería/galerie", do you mean the Italian ga*ll*er*ì*a* /galle'ria/ ?
I was talking about ga*lè*ria* /ga'lɛrja/... a word very common in geographical names, also a literary work of Giovan Battista Marino; but I don't know what it means.

*Note that both galleria and galeria are written without accents, I only wrote them to indicate the tonic stress.

BTW, this is the Treccani entry for galera:


> *galèra* s. f. [variante di _galèa_]. –
> 
> *1.*
> 
> *a.* Lo stesso che _galea_: _le g_. _veneziane_; _altre vittorie guadagnate dalle g_. _di S_. _A_. _Serenissima_ (Redi); spec. con riferimento alla condanna al remo che vi si scontava: _fu condannato alla g_. _a vita_.
> 
> *b.*  Per estens., la pena dei lavori forzati, dell’ergastolo; quindi, nel  linguaggio com., la pena della reclusione, prigione, carcere: _andare_, _mandare in g_.; _ha fatto vent’anni di g_.; _Sbràita decoro il creditore_,_ infierisce Sull’insolvente_,_ gli minaccia g._ (Giovanni Giudici); _pezzo da g_., _avanzo di g_., persona disonesta e capace delle peggiori azioni.
> 
> *c.* fig. Luogo dove la vita riesca materialmente e moralmente penosa, insopportabile: _quel collegio era per me una galera_.
> 
> *2.*  Arnese domestico per lucidare i pavimenti, consistente in un largo  spazzolone innestato a una pesante forma metallica manovrata da un  manico snodabile (è così chiamato per la fatica che richiede il suo  uso).



So we have 1a: according the Treccani _galera_ is a variant of _galea_, and not the other way around as I thought before, and it's the meaning that most European language share (the ship many of you mentioned). Also used to indicate the punishment inflicted to prisoners consiting of rowing the ship.

1b: For extension, it means the punishment of forced labour, of life imprisonment; therefore in the common language: the punishment of reclusion in a prison.

1c: Place where is materially and morally pitiful, miserable, unbearable

Meaning 2 is very rare, I've never heard about that tool...

@Alderamin:
Is it possible that Brazilian Portuguese has preserved a meaning of _galera_ that in European Portuguese has lost?

For me it's funny to hear the summer hit song _Ai se eu pego_:
Sábado na balada
 a galera começou a dançar

I understood it as "Saturday in the club the 'prison' started to dance"


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## Alderamin

I'm afraid I haven't understood well your question Youngfun.
The meaning of crowd or group of people that "galera" has today in Brazilian Portuguese never existed in European Portuguese.
It's true that this word conveys the same meaning - nautical term - in both Portuguese variants, but in Brazilian Portuguese "galera" is used also as "group of people".
As for the song, I'm sorry, but I don't use to listen Brazilian songs , but "Sábado na balada a galera começou a dançar" means "On Saturday, people started to dance at the sound of music".


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## merquiades

Youngfun said:
			
		

> When you talk about "galería/galerie", do you mean the Italian gallerìa* /galle'ria/ ?
> I was talking about galèria* /ga'lɛrja/... a word very common in geographical names, also a literary work of Giovan Battista Marino; but I don't know what it means.
> 
> *Note that both galleria and galeria are written without accents, I only wrote them to indicate the tonic stress.



Salve Youngfun.  Thanks for the information on galleria, galeria and galera (galea).  I didn't know of the second term.... what could it mean?
Pronunciation is indeed important between galleria and galeria, the geminate L and stress change everything.
As for galleria, I only brought it up as per Forero's question about it's link.  I definitely discard any relation.  Galera seems to fall in line with other romance languages.


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## Youngfun

Youngfun said:


> 1c: Place where *life* is materially and morally pitiful, miserable, unbearable
> [...]
> For me it's funny to hear the summer hit song _Ai se eu *te* pego_


Desculpem, _galera_ D)
OMG, 2 missing words in 1 post...


merquiades said:


> I didn't know of the second term.... what could it mean?


I haven't the slightest idea 


Alderamin said:


> I'm afraid I haven't understood well your question Youngfun.
> The meaning of crowd or group of people that "galera" has today in Brazilian Portuguese never existed in European Portuguese.
> It's true that this word conveys the same meaning - nautical term - in both Portuguese variants, but in Brazilian Portuguese "galera" is used also as "group of people".


Sorry, I always have the stereotype that words that exist in BP but not in EP are remainders of ancient Portuguese. Well, not always it's like this.
I've found this thread in the Portuguese forum: galera


coolbrowne said:


> [...] it comes from "Galeria" in this fashion:
> 
> "Galeria" is the cheapest-ticket section of a theater, the upper balcony (way up top, don’t forget those binoculars!).
> "Gente da galeria"/"Balcony folks" (supposedly nice people, as opposed to those rich stiff upper lips in the orchestra seating ) was cropped to "galeria", thence nicknamed to "galera".
> Regards


So according to him, _galera_ in the meaning of folk, gang doesn't even come from the ship _galera_ (but from galeria! ) and it's not even related to the other meaning of _galera_ and to the _galeras_ in other languages!
Do you guys agree with this etymology?


coolbrowne said:


> As for the song, I'm sorry, but I don't use to listen Brazilian songs , but "Sábado na balada a galera começou a dançar" means "On Saturday, people started to dance at the sound of music".


I thought that this song was a huge summer hit in all over Europe!  Maybe you aren't a youngster. 
BTW, now I know what _galera_ means, but the first time I thought about the _galera_ in Italian and I found very strange a song that tells a _prison_ to dance!
And thanks for correcting me, I don't know why, but I used to confuse balada with boate, dacenteria... and thought that balada meant nightclub/dance club.


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## Alderamin

Youngfun said:


> Desculpem, _galera_ D)
> 
> Sorry, I always have the stereotype that words that exist in BP but not in EP are remainders of ancient Portuguese. Well, not always it's like this.
> I've found this thread in the Portuguese forum: galera
> 
> I thought that this song was a huge summer hit in all over Europe!  Maybe you aren't a youngster.
> BTW, now I know what _galera_ means, but the first time I thought about the _galera_ in Italian and I found very strange a song that tells a _prison_ to dance!
> And thanks for correcting me, I don't know why, but I used to confuse balada with boate, dacenteria... and thought that balada meant nightclub/dance club.



The link that you've found proves that "galera" means group of people in Brazilian Portuguese.
In European Portuguese we would say "malta".
I believe "balada", "boate" and "danceteria" are the same as I know by "discoteca" (disco) or a sentimental song. At least, the dictionary I've checked conveys that.
If there's any difference between these three terms in terms of their purposes, you should ask to a Brazilian member.


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## Youngfun

Yes, Alderamin, but are you sure that explanation about the origin of the Brazilian meaning of «galera» is right?

Btw, I know what galera means, because I asked a Brazilian friend... but before asking her, I thought about the Italian meaning "prison", and so I found very strange a song telling the _prison_ to dance. 


Alderamin said:


> or a sentimental song.


 
I thought they meant the physical place where people dance... and that should be, if «discoteca» in Portugal have the same meaning as in Italy. 
I just confused by your translation «at the sound of music» instead of «in the club/disco».

I opened a thread about the Italian Galeria in the Italian forum.


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## SanktGonçalsburg

Youngfun said:


> I don't know why, but I used to confuse balada with boate, dacenteria... and thought that balada meant nightclub/dance club.



"Balada" may be used to refer to the place itself (the "boate" or the "danceteria"), but it can also mean the act of going to such places, or even partaking in any other nighttime social activities. For example, I've seen people refer to LAN parties as "baladas nerds". 

Not long ago, the term most commonly used to refer to nighttime activities in general was "programa". Nowadays, "programa" has become heavily associated with prostitution, so the sentence "vamos fazer um programa" would be perceived as a double entendre by young people.


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## Youngfun

I think "program" is common in other languages too, when talking about hanging out.
But is there any difference between boate and danceteria?


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## SanktGonçalsburg

Youngfun said:


> I think "program" is common in other languages too, when talking about hanging out.
> But is there any difference between boate and danceteria?



I would use them as synonyms, but I barely use the word "danceteria" at all.


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## Youngfun

Thanks! Language courses (or better: conversation manual) for tourists very often teach words not used very often!


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## Alderamin

Youngfun said:


> Yes, Alderamin, but are you sure that explanation about the origin of the Brazilian meaning of «galera» is right?
> 
> Btw, I know what galera means, because I asked a Brazilian friend... but before asking her, I thought about the Italian meaning "prison", and so I found very strange a song telling the _prison_ to dance.
> 
> 
> I thought they meant the physical place where people dance... and that should be, if «discoteca» in Portugal have the same meaning as in Italy.
> I just confused by your translation «at the sound of music» instead of «in the club/disco».
> 
> I opened a thread about the Italian Galeria in the Italian forum.



Please note that the only thing I know in BR-PT is that "galera" means "crowd of people".
As for the word "balada" in PT-PT means a "sentimental song", in PT-BR means a "disco".
Now, I guess you can see my mistake, because for me "balada" means only "balade", a sentimental song, music.
Also, I believe I should stress that I'm not Brazilian.


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## Youngfun

Thank you very much Alderamin, for having helped me despite you aren't Brazilian.


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