capoeira.

Etymology tree Portuguese capão Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -ārius Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -a Latin -āria Old Galician-Portuguese -eira Portuguese -eira Portuguese capoeira From capão (“capon”) + -eira. Compare Galician capoeira and Spanish caponera.

Uncertain. There are various theories on the etymology: * from Old Tupi kopûera, from kó (“clearing”) + pûera (“that once was”) * from Old Tupi ka'apûera, from ka'a (“woods; forest”) + pûera (“that once was”) * from Old Tupi ka'apaũ, from ka'a (“woods; forest”) + paũ (“round”) Both Tupi words refer to lands that used to be cleared by the Tupis for agriculture and to which slaves would escape. * from the root kupura (to play) in the Ki-Kongo language. * from capão (“capon”) + -eira, from a supposed resemblance between capoeira and cockfighting. The spelling of this word and its derived terms were likely influenced by Etymology 1.