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GLOSSARY OF NON-ENGLISH
WORDS
Alpendre [Portuguese] a covered porch with a
high-pitched roof often compared to the Goan balcao.
annas [Hindi, Konkani] old monetary denomination
equivalent to twenty-five paise.
balcao [Portuguese] transitionary space connecting
the indoors to the outdoors in a Goan house. This
space is often provided with seating and has its
own independent roof system.
bebinca [Portuguese] Goan sweet made with coconut
milk, eggs and sugar, believed to have its origins
in the Far East.
bolinas [Portuguese] Goan biscuits or cookies
made with dessicated coconut, sugar, flour and
butter.
capela [Portuguese] chapel.
devghor [Konkani] literally god’s house,
this is the room set apart for worship within
a home.
dodol [Portuguese] Goan sweet made with coconut
milk and jaggery.
fidalgo [Portuguese] nobleman of Portuguese origin
in Goa.
ganv [Konkani] a cluster of houses or a village.
Goa Dourada [Portuguese] literally Golden Goa,
this expression was used freely during the 450
years of Portuguese rule over Goa and is used
even today to describe a prosperous period in
Goa’s history.
Gramdev [Konkani] presiding deity of a village.
jagrita devta [Konkani] literally active or
alert god, the term of signifies a powerful, active,
alert spirit.
ladinhas [Portuguese] religious hymns and litanies
sung before a wayside cross or shrine.
mand [Konkani] open land near the village often
near a temple tank or village church earmarked
for community activity and festivities.
manos [Konkani] sluice gates which were designed
to control salt water ingress in paddy fields.
These gates were once the backbone of Goa's agrarian
economy.
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