Portuguese-based creole languages meaning "in" and/or "on", which would come from the Portuguese contraction "na" meaning "in the" (feminine singular). The Portuguese word for "creole" is "crioulo", which derives from the verb "criar" ("to raise", "to bring up") and a suffix "-oulo" of debated origin. Originally the word was used to distinguish the members of any ethnic group who were born and raised in the colonies from those who were born in their homeland. In Africa it was often applied to locally born people of (wholly or partly) Portuguese descent, as opposed to those born in Portugal; whereas in Brazil it was also
Carnival areas where Dutch, German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese are spoken, or "Carnevale" in Italian-speaking contexts. Alternative names are used for regional and local celebrations. The word is said to come from the Late Latin expression "carne levare", which means "remove meat"; a folk etymology derives it from "carne vale", "farewell to meat". In either case, this signifies the approaching fast. The word "carne" may also be translated as flesh, producing "a farewell to the flesh", a phrase embraced by certain carnival celebrants to embolden the festival's carefree spirit. The etymology of the word "Carnival" thus points to a Christian origin