View source for -ão

{{also|Appendix:Variations of "ao"}}

==Portuguese==

===Alternative forms===
* {{alt|pt|-aõ||obsolete}}
* {{alt|pt|-zão||especially after words stressed on the last syllable}}

===Etymology 1===
{{etymon|pt|inh|roa-opt>-on>augmentative|id=augmentative|pos=suffix}}
From {{inh|pt|roa-opt|-on}}, from {{inh|pt|la|-ōnem}}. Akin to {{cog|es|-ón}}, {{cog|it|-one}} and {{cog|fr|-on}}, compare {{cog|ro|-oi}}.

====Pronunciation====
{{pt-IPA}}
* {{rhymes|pt|ɐ̃w̃|s=1}}

====Suffix====
{{pt-noun|m|f=+}}

# {{non-gloss|forms the augmentative of nouns}}
#: {{syn|pt|-ácio|-aço|-alhão|-arrão|-ázio|-eirão}}
#: {{ant|pt|-inho|-ito|-culo|-ete}}
## {{non-gloss|forms nouns, from nouns denoting things, meaning “big thing,” usually but not necessarily with the same gender}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|livro|t1=book|livrão|t2=big book}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|janela|t1=window|janelona|t2=big window}}
## {{non-gloss|used to refer to things affectionately}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|filho|t1=son|filhão|t2=used by a father to address his son, when he is proud of the son}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|amigo|t1=friend|amigão|t2=a good friend; a true friend}}
## {{non-gloss|forms nouns, from nouns, implying that the suffixed noun is powerful or good}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|carro|t1=car|carrão|t2=high-performance car}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|calor|t1=heat|calorão|t2=intense heat}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|soco|t1=punch|socão|t2=powerful punch}}
## {{non-gloss|in nouns that are formed from, or homonymous with, an adjective, it augments the quality expressed by the adjective}}
##: {{suffixusex|pt|cabeludo|t1=long-haired (adjective); long-haired person (noun)|cabeludão|t2=person with very long hair}}
# {{non-gloss|forms the masculine of animal names (whether the animal refers to females or to males and females)}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|abelha|t1=bee (any sex)|abelhão|t2=drone}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|cabra|t1=she-goat|cabrão|t2=billy goat}}
# {{non-gloss|forms nouns, from nouns, denoting an item of the same class as the suffixed noun, or which shares a characteristic with the suffixed noun}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|calça|t1=pants|calção|t2=shorts}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|agulha|t1=needle|agulhão|t2=sharp rock on a riverbed}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|fogo|t1=fire|fogão|t2=stove}}
# {{lb|pt|slang}} {{non-gloss|forms nouns, from a numeral X divisible by ten and greater than thirty, meaning “someone in his Xs”}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|quarenta|t1=forty|quarentão|t2=someone in his forties}}
# {{non-gloss|forms nouns, from a verb X, meaning a strong or violent instance of doing X}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|arrastar|t1=to drag|arrastão|t2=an instance of violently dragging something}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|puxar|t1=to pull|puxão|t2=a strong or violent pull}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|pisar|t1=to step|pisão|t2=a strong or violent step}}
# {{lb|pt|informal|derogatory}} {{non-gloss|forms nouns, from a verb X, meaning an agent of such verb}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|fugir|t1=to flee|fujão|t2=someone who flees from something}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|cagar|t1=to shit|cagão|t2=someone who shits upon something, a [[coward]]}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|mijar|t1=to piss|mijão|t2=someone who wets themselves}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|arregar|t1=to back off|arregão|t2=someone who backs off from a challenge, a [[quitter]]}}
# {{lb|pt|Brazil|slang}} {{non-gloss|forms nouns, from a numeral X, meaning “X amount of money” or “a bill worth X”}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|cinco|t1=five|cincão|t2=five bucks}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|mil|t1=thousand|milzão|t2=a thousand bucks}}

====Suffix====
{{pt-adj}}

# {{lb|pt|somewhat|_|informal}} {{non-gloss|forms the augmentative of adjectives}}, roughly equivalent to English ''[[quite]]''
#: {{suffixusex|pt|grande|t1=big|grandão|t2=quite big}}

===Etymology 2===
From {{inh|pt|roa-opt|-ão}}, from {{inh|pt|la|-ānus||-ian}}. {{doublet|pt|-ano}}.

====Pronunciation====
{{pt-IPA}}
* {{rhymes|pt|ɐ̃w̃|s=1}}

====Suffix====
{{pt-noun|m|#s|f=-ã}}<br />
{{pt-adj|f=-ã|mpl=#s}}

# {{senseid|pt|location}} {{lb|pt|no longer productive}} {{non-gloss|forms adjectives, nouns and proper nouns referring to a location or type of location, meaning “of or relating to that location” and nouns meaning “someone from that location”}}
#: {{syn|pt|-ano|-ense}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|vila|t1=village|vilão|t2=villager}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|cidade|t1=city|cidadão|t2=citizen}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|Beira|t1=a region in Portugal|beirão|t2=relating to Beira”, “someone from Beira}}

===Etymology 3===

====Pronunciation====
{{pt-IPA}}
* {{rhymes|pt|ɐ̃w̃|s=1}}

====Suffix====
{{pt-noun|m}}

# {{l|en|-on}} {{gloss|forming nouns denoting subatomic particles}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|magnete|t1=magnet|magnetão|t2=magneton}}

===Etymology 4===
From {{inh|pt|roa-opt|-an}}, from {{m|roa-opt|an}} (modern Portuguese: {{m|pt|hão}}) from {{der|pt|la|habent}}, third-person plural present indicative of {{m|la|habeō|t=to have}}.

====Pronunciation====
{{pt-IPA}}
* {{rhymes|pt|ɐ̃w̃|s=1}}

====Suffix====
{{pt-suffix|verb|ao}}

# {{non-gloss|forms the third-person plural future indicative, from the infinitive of verbs}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|falar|t1=to speak|falarão|t2=(they) will speak}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|comer|t1=to eat|comerão|t2=(they) will eat}}
#: {{suffixusex|pt|sorrir|t1=to smile|sorrirão|t2=(they) will smile}}

===Etymology 5===

====Pronunciation====
{{pt-IPA|ã̇o<q:stress on the penultimate syllable>}}
* {{IPA|pt|/ɐ̃w̃/}} {{qualifier|[[paroxytone]]}}

====Suffix====
{{pt-suffix|verb|ao}}

# {{pt-pre-reform|-am|br=43|pt=11}}'', now a common misspelling''

===Usage notes===
Words ending in ''-ão'' are pluralised differently depending on its origin:
*Those in which the suffix is derived from {{inh|pt|la|-ōnem}} (including all masculine augmentatives), as well as words derived from French words ending in ''-on'', Italian words ending in ''-one'' or Spanish words ending in ''-ón'' (all from Latin ''-ōnem'' as well), are pluralised with ''-ões''.
*Those in which the suffix derives from {{inh|pt|la|-ānus||-ian}}, as well as words derived from other Latin words ending in ''-ānus'', such as  {{m|pt|mão}} and {{m|pt|chão}}, are pluralised with ''-ãos''.
*Some words ending in ''-ão'' pluralise as ''-ães''. In these cases the ''-ão'' is either not a suffix and derives from Old Portuguese ''-an'', from Latin ''-ānem'', ''-anēs'', or derived from an ''-an'' suffix in Old Gallician-Portuguese which has become assimilated regardless of its derivation.
** {{m|pt|cão||dog}} → {{m|pt|cães||dogs}}, from {{cog|la|canem}}, {{m|la|canēs}}
** {{m|pt|pão||bread}} → {{m|pt|pães||breads}}, from {{cog|la|pānem}}, {{m|la|pānēs}}
** {{m|pt|capitão||captain}} → {{m|pt|capitães||captains}}, from {{inh|pt|roa-opt|capitan}}, from {{cog|la|capitāneus}}
** {{m|pt|alemão||German}} → {{m|pt|alemães||German(s)}}, from {{inh|pt|roa-opt|aleman}}, from {{cog|la|Alemannus}}
*Some words have non-predictable pluralisations, for example:
** {{m|pt|aldeão||villager}} and {{m|pt|vilão||villain}} may be pluralised with ''-ãos'', ''-ões'' or ''-ães''
** {{m|pt|damão||hyrax}} → {{m|pt|damões||hyraxes}}, from French {{m|pt|daman||hyrax}}, from {{der|pt|ar|[[دَمَان]] [[إِسْرَائِيل]]}}.
** {{m|pt|cafetão||pimp}} → {{m|pt|cafetões||pimps}}, from Lunfardo {{m|es-lun|cáften}}

===Derived terms===
{{suffixsee|pt}}

===See also===
* {{l|pt|-aço}}

{{cln|pt|augmentative suffixes}}