from the magazine S'HOMOS, Número 11 (1996)
CGC, Colectivo Gai de Compostela
Apdo de correos 191
15780 Santiago de Compostela (CORUNHA)


(The following article was translated from Galician)

To return to Arenal


In February of this year several dozen people, united by ILGA-Portugal and the Grupo de trabalho homossexual, assembled before the seat of Porto Editora (1) in protest of the treatment which the entries "homosexuality and lesbianism" receive in their dictionary (widely used in schools, high schools and Portuguese universities(2)).


As I explain in the following text, the dictionary Porto Editora is not in any way an isolated case (3). The implicit morality of the dictionary writer transcends what remains printed in the pages of his/her work, which in turn will be taken as a source to complete future lexicographical works (Svensen 1993). In this way, we can perceive from subtle hints to explicit manifestations of homophobia (a word which does not appear collected in the works studied, a justifiable fact in part because its use is not yet sufficiently wide spread) in the dictionaries of our language.

I am taking as a reference for what I consider to be an adequate definition of the term "homosexuality"- the one made by Professor Sonia Soriano of the University of Salamanca "Homosexuality is a type of orientation of sexual desire which not only involves having sexual relations with persons of the same sex (conduct). As orientation of desire, we are speaking of homosexuality when people of the same sex are converted into erotic stimuli, and therefore, for them and because of them, sexual desire is activated; sexual attraction and emotional relations are directed toward persons of the same sex; persons of the same sex habitually are the object of erotic fantasies and with those persons, desire and sexual relations" (Soriano 1994).

"especially the congenital aspect""

The General Dictionary of the Language (Ares Vázquez et alii 1986) is possibly used the most in the centers of education in Galicia. It distinguishes between orientation and conduct in the definitions of "homosexual" ("2. person who has carnal relations with others of the same sex, or who feels attracted by them") and "lesbian", but they turn out to be incomplete upon comparing them to the definition of Soriano. The dictionary indicates in 'marico'n' and 'inverted' that they are used "in a derrogatory sense". But in 'sapphic' again we find "lesbian love' without any reference to only sexual aspects, which seems, in the eyes of the dictionary writers, to be more related to men and to the masculine sexual organs. Cultisms like "sodomy', 'sapphism', "tribadismo' or "uranismo") are not present in this dicionary. Neither 'inversion' nor "effeminate' make reference to homosexuality.

The Estravís (Alonso Estravís 1995), a dictionary which, according to its author is "within two volumes, the most complete of the romance languages in use", with almost 90000 entries, it distinguishes between "homosexuality" ("quality or disposition of homosexual") and "homosexualismo" ("1. preferential appetite for love by individuals for members of the same sex. 2. the practice of sexual acts among individuals of the same sex."), which clearly differentiates orientation from conduct. But the author does not always show himself so impartial. With respect to the previous edition in three volumes (Alonso Estravís 1986), as Outeiro points out, "in the same sense, we find corrections of an ethical type, such as the change in the definitions of 'abada' or 'homosexualismo' (...) but, in spite of showing in this and in other cases a clear intention of correction, we observe one or another lamentable lapse (see 'catinga' or 'maricas')" (Outeiro 1995). In effect, 'inverted' appears in the second acceptance of 'maricas'. As synonyms, it offers "maricallo', 'maricolas', 'maricón', 'mariqueiro', 'mariquitas', 'mariolo', 'fraco' and 'mullereno'. As we turn to words no longer used today, we find that 'uranismo' is 'sexual inversion", a 'pederast' is "one who has the vice of pederasty", and "pedophilia" is the "morbid sexual attraction of an adult for children. Therefore, a 'pedophile' is "one who enjoys children".

In contrast to this vision of masculine homosexuality, 'lesbian' (that is le'sbico, le'sbio) is defined this way "2. it is said of the love of one woman for another. 3. It is said of the homosexual woman".

The dictionary Ir Indo (Feixo' et alia 1986) establishes the distinction between 'homosexuality' and 'homosexualismo' and the respective definitions agree exactly with Estravís (1986), as well as the qualification of "morbid sexual attraction" of pedophilia. But it goes farther. "Sodomy" is, for the authors, 'abnormal sexual practice among individuals of the same sex, or contrary to nature among individuals of opposite sex", and 'uranismo' "sexual inversion// masculine 'homosexualismo', especially the congenital aspect"(4). Lastly, the idea of sex as something restricted exclusively to two people appears in the word "lesbianism" "practice of sexual acts between two women";in this way, once again feminine sexuality is seen limited in its possibilities by negative judgements of a woman's anatomy.

"he likes to play house"

The Royal Academy of Galego- Institute of the Galician Language (RAG-ILGA 1990) is caracterized as having a more didactic character. On occasion, the definitions are accompanied with examples. The definitions of 'homosexual' relate only to orientation, but those of 'lesbianism' also includes the point of view of conduct. That definition which it gives of 'maricas' or 'maricón', in its second acceptance "it is said of the man who has effeminate manners; even without being homosexual . - He is 'maricas' a little bit, he likes to play house with the girls- ". They are both words of popular usage. I find that with difficulty a dictionary could show in a more precise way to the boys and girls what is a perceived sexist behaviour. It also lacks the terms which I signaled absent in the Xerais (General Dictionary of the Language).

Dictionaries for children present a serie of specific and unique traits like the limitation of topics or a grouping of entries "of terms of most frequent use" and the definitions characterized 'by their absolute and major simplicity and comprehension with respect to the topic" (Nuccorini 1993 35-36). Therefore, it is not surprising that the Santillana (Xove et alia 1995) of 2 000 entries, only includes among them "homosexual" ("(person) who feels attracted by persons of the same sex"), "lesbian" ("homosexual woman") "marica", "maricas" or "maricón", which indicates a derrogatory tone, and 'pederast' ("man who maintains sexual relations with a boy"). It does not give the acceptance of 'homosexual' for 'effeminate' and all considered, it is the most impartial or objective dictionary among those studied here.

Even though beacuse of their characteristics, I consider dictionaries of synonyms different from the other works we are looking at, I find that it is necessary to mention, for its interest, the "General Dictionary of Synonyms" (Castro Macía 1995), recently printed. It lists as synonyms of 'homosexual', in this order, "1. Deviant, inverted, marica, maricón, pederast, sodomite. 2. lesbian, virago". And as equivalents to effeminate "1. 'amullerado', 'cachicón', 'cazoleiro', 'cullereio', 'escumapotes', 'homosexual', 'madama', 'mandileiro', 'maricallo', 'maricas', 'maricón', 'monfradito', 'mullerengo', 'voluptuoso'" (in 'maricón", also, "lareiro") (5). As well as the popular designations, it introduces terms in disuse which have derrogatory tones used in earlier days in pseudoscientific circles. The Portuguese sources which the author used, we see evidence in words like "homosexualismo" (synonym of lesbianismo) and 'mole' (in place of 'mol', the only form according to the official rule, in the second acceptance of effeminate).

"aversion.. to persons of the opposite sex "

The "Grande Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa (Machado 1981), in twelve volumes, are twelve boxes of surpises. Its explanation of the term 'homosexual' does not waste time getting to the point "it is said of two men or two women who practise sexual acts with individuals of the same sex who show very clear aversion to persons of the opposite sex". It gives as a second acceptance in figurative sense of 'lesbiano' that of "debased, dissolute" (6). and it defines 'lesbianism' as 'the quality of lesbians// series of sexual practices among women". The 'inverted' is a "pathological deviant"; a 'uranista' is a "person who has the perversion of uranismo"; a 'fanchono' is an 'individual of bad habits, homosexual"; a 'pederast' is an 'individual who has the vice of pederasty" which in turn, is a ' sexual perversion that consists in a man having carnal relations with another man; fanchonice, sodomy". While pedophilia is, for the author, "love directed to children". In light of this, and perhaps without realizing it, Machado does not seem to err so much.

In breaking with the norm, he distinguishes between 'sapphism' ("a form of feminine homosexuality which is said with respect to aberrant practices among women// lesbian love" and 'tribadismo' and 'tribadia' ("inversion of the sexual instint in a woman who shows more marked masculine characteristics than in 'sapphism') And he gives as a synonym of "inverted woman' the word 'maricas'. He does not distinguish, like others, between 'homosexuality' and 'homossexualismo'.

In the same light, homosexuality is treated in the dictionary of Candido de Figueiredo (Figueiredo 1981), which in its sixteenth edition changed almost nothing since it began to be printed at the start of this century. Following, I will mention the entries, which in my opinion, most deserve attention "homossexualismo" ("practice of sexual acts among individuals of the same sex") 'lesbianism' ("one of the sexual vices against nature, in women. Aberration of the sexual instinct."); 'inverted' ("said of the man in whom another man exerts libidinous actions"); 'pederasty' ("vice against nature or repugnant love of one man for a boy or another man"); 'uranismo' ("sexual inversion, diseased. Homosexuality, perversion which leads an individual toward another of the same sex"); 'sodomy' ("sexual act against nature. pederasty"); 'tríbade' ("woman given to homosexual practices").

He gives the figurative acceptance of 'dissolute' for 'lesbian'; affirms that a pedophile is someone 'who enjoys children' and he defines 'sapphism' as 'homosexual love, of a woman for another woman; lesbianism"; beautiful, but incomplete and clearly sexist.

In addition to the consideration of 'homosexualismo' as 'the practice of homosexual acts/sexual inversion" and of 'lesbianism' as "an aberration of the sexual instinct in a woman who practises sexual acts with other women; the same as lesbianismo and 'tribadismo'", the Porto Editora (Almeida Costa/Sampaio e Melo 1991) speak again of 'pedophilia' as "diseased sexual attraction" and of 'sapphism' as 'love'. In "fanchono' he gives the following definition, also of rancid and archaic air "lusty man who looks for pleasures in individuals of his own sex (...)".

Lastly, the New Dictionary of the Portuguese Language (Buarque de Holanda Ferreira 1986) immense manual of 25 million characters seems, at first sight, the best one updated, that we have yet examined. The definitions for 'homosexual' and 'heterosexual' are in all aspects, parallel "1. relative to the sexual afinity, attraction and/or behaviour among individuals of the same sex. 2. Who has this afinity and this behaviour// homosexual person. (antonym heterosexual)". "Lesbianism is "feminine homosexuality; sapphism", but 'tribadismo' is "feminine homosexuality consisting in the reciprocal rubbing(7) of the genital organs".

With all of this, we find again for 'homosexuality' a synonym (besides 'homossexualismo) 'inversion' and we discern less utilized words "sexual inversion" ("uranismo"), "who has the perversion of 'uranismo'" ('uranista') and "who is given to pederasty" (pederast). Pedofilia, as well as pedophile, are free of any sexual reference, as in the Portuguese dictionaries (except in Porto Editora).

"The perversion of 'uranismo'"

The Aurélio is also a dictionary rich in synonyms. As equivalents of "man who is a passive homosexual" (effeminate 2.) it offers 'afrescalhado', 'aqualirado', 'aveadado', 'fresco', 'ventilado', 'veado', 'bicha', 'bicharoca', 'bicha-louca', 'bichona', 'boneca', and 'pirobo'. Other entries of synonyms are 'vinte-e-quarto' and 'tobeiro'. Also 'adamado', 'amaricado', 'mariquinhas', 'mulherendo', 'mulherzinha' and other words present in the remaining dictionaries as synonyms of 'effeminate 1. and 'lésbia', 'lesbiana', 'mulher-homem', 'mulher-macho', 'sapatao' as terms equivalent to 'les'bica'. "Homaça', 'machoa', 'machona', 'marimacho' and 'virago' allude also to "a robust woman with rude or masculine manners"(8).

The Aurélio is also the only dictionary of those consulted here which includes the entry 'gay'. It indicates its pronunciation as 'guei', its use for both genders and advocates for the adoption of "guei', neologism de facto (not used in Brazil) and which it defines as 'homosexual person' and not as 'militant homosexual', a meaning which has begun to be used as it extends to other languages besides English" (9).

From another point of view, the fact of signaling homosexuality as as something abnormal or aberrant is related to the absence of terms relative to heterosexualtiy which, for being supposed as the 'normal' or 'natural' is taken for obvious. Only Xerais, Santillana and Aurélio conceive definitions in more or less grade parallel- 'homosexual' and 'heterosexual'. The remaining dictionaries wish to ignore the latter word, wish to clarify that it is a specific term in psychology (Porto Editora) or they wish to assign meanings to it with no relation to the theme we are dealing with (Estravís)

The example of Porto Editora is not, therfore, unique. But, the iniciative of pressuring for the change of its contents with a homophobic nature, well could be the first of the actions in undoing once and for all other anachronic and discriminatory situations present the the other dictionaries of our language.


I thank Sílvia Alonso, Féli Rodríguez and Carlos Valcárcel for the life-lines they threw to me.