zeura

• zevra

Unknown. First attested in 1595 by José de Anchieta; other attestations are in the works of fellow Society of Jesus missionaries. The original printing of José de Anchieta’s Art of Grammar (which variously employed the types ⟨u⟩ and ⟨v⟩) writes the word as ⟨zeura⟩, and so do its later editions. However, a book by Luís Vincêncio Mamiani, which does distinguish ⟨u⟩ and ⟨v⟩, uses the spelling ⟨zevra⟩.

• (Portugal, 17th c.) IPA^(key): /ˈz̻ew.ɾɐ/ (with u), /ˈz̻e.vɾɐ/ (with v)

zeura f (plural zeuras)

1. (orthography, obsolete) cedilla [until the 18th c.]

   Synonym: cedilha

   • 1595, Ioſeph de Anchieta, “Annotações, na Conjugação” (chapter VII), in Arte de grammatica da lingoa mais vſada na coſta do Braſil‎^[1], Coimbra: Antonio de Mariz, page 21:

     Exemplos dos que tem, ç. com zeura que ſe ha de mudar em, r.

     Examples of those that have ç with a cedilla that ought to change into r.

   • 1620, Luis Figueira, “Segvnda conivgaçam geral dos verbos, que começaõ per pronome, Xe”, in Arte da lingua Braſilica‎^[2], Lisbon, page 20:

     Exceituãoſe porém desta regra os verbos, que depois do pronome Xe, tiuerẽ a letra R, immediatamente, a qual letra R, ſe muda em ç, com zeura na terceira peſſoa […]

     An exception to this rule are the verbs that, immediately after the pronoun Xe, have the letter R, which changes to ç, with a cedilla, in the third person […]

   • 1699, Luis Vincencio Mamiani, Arte da lingua Braſilica da Naçaõ Kiriri‎^[3], Lisbon: Officina de Miguel Deslandes, section 1, page 2:

     Uſaſe tambem o C com zevra, quando ſe ſegue à conſoante T.

     The C with cedilla is also used, when it follows the consonant T.

   • 1795, “Advertencia  […]”, in Diccionario Portuguez, e Braſiliano  […]‎^[4], Lisbon: Officina Patriarcal, page i:

     E aſſim ſe uſa nella de Ç com zeura em lugar do S, cujo natural ſibilo naõ conſente a lingua Braſilica.

     And as such Ç with cedilla is utilized in it [writing the language] instead of the S, whose natural sibilancy does not fit the Brazilian language.