krika

Usage examples

• Kel palavra 'krika' é mutu feiu pa fla na publiku.
  The word 'krika' is very ugly to say in public.
• El xingou-l di krika na meiu di rua.
  He insulted her with 'krika' in the middle of the street.

Etymology

"Krika" in Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu) is the standard vulgar term for female genitalia, derived from the Portuguese "crica," itself a vulgar colloquial word for the vulva found in Portuguese and Galician. Cape Verdean Creole developed from 15th-century Portuguese contact with West African languages, and much of its coarse anatomical vocabulary is directly inherited from Portuguese with phonological adaptation. The shift from Portuguese "crica" to Kriolu "krika" reflects the creole's tendency to simplify vowel clusters and front unstressed vowels.

Cultural notes

Cape Verde is a predominantly Catholic archipelago with conservative social norms around public speech, and "krika" is one of the strongest vulgarities in Kriolu. The term appears in heated arguments and insult exchanges but is considered deeply inappropriate in formal settings, mixed company, or around elders. Cape Verdean diaspora communities in Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United States maintain knowledge of the word, and it can be heard in Kriolu music (funaná and batuku) in explicit tracks. Its Portuguese cognate "crica" reinforces mutual comprehension between Cape Verdean and Portuguese speakers.

Same meaning, other languages

Accuracy

68% of 25 voters say this translation is accurate.