Federative Republic of Brazil

1555, from Sp./Port. terra de brasil "red-dye-wood land," from Sp. brasil or It. brasile, probably connected to Fr. braize (q.v.) for resemblance of color to a glowing ember (but O.It. form verzino suggests a possible connection with Ar. wars "saffron"). Originally the name of a type of wood from an E. Indian tree, used in making dye; the name later transferred to a similar S.Amer. species. The word in reference to the wood is attested in Eng. from 1386. Complicating matters is Hy Brasil a name applied by 1436 to one of the larger Azores Islands, later transf. to a legendary island or rock off the west coast of Ireland (sighted in 1791 at lat. 51° 10', long. 15° 58').