Pajubá


Pajubá is the name of the Brazilian cryptolect constituted of the insertion of numerous words and expressions coming from West African languages into the Portuguese language. It is spoken by practitioners of Afro-Brazilian religions, such as Candomblé and Umbanda, and by the Brazilian LGBT community. Its source languages include Umbundu, Kimbundo, Kikongo, Egbá, Ewe, Fon and Yoruba.
It is also often described as "the speaking in the language of the saints" or "rolling the tongue", much used by the "saint people" when one wants to say something so that other people cannot understand.

Etymology

In both the candomblé and the LGBT community, the word pajubá or bajubá means "gossip", "news", or "update", referring to other related groups or events occurring in those circles.

History

Pajubá began to be used by the LGBT community during the period of the military government of Brazil as a means of facing police repression and mislead what people could gather from what they heard. Originally created spontaneously in regions with the strongest African presence in Brazil, such as Umbanda and Candomblé "terreiros", the dialect resulting from the assimilation of current Africanisms, which was incomprehensible to those who had not previously learned their meanings, was adopted as a code between transvestite and later between all LGBT communities and sympathizers.
In November 2018, a question mentioning Pajubá was included in the National High School Exam.