Portuguese word meaning 'woman' or 'wife', used in both Brazil and Portugal with slight pronunciation variations.
From Latin mulier meaning 'woman, wife', which is of uncertain origin but possibly related to mollire meaning 'to soften'. The word evolved through Vulgar Latin into Old Portuguese, maintaining its core meaning throughout centuries of linguistic development. Unlike Spanish 'mujer', Portuguese retained the 'lh' consonant cluster.
The Portuguese 'lh' sound in 'mulher' represents one of the most distinctive features of Portuguese phonology, similar to the 'lli' in Italian 'famiglia'. This palatalized lateral consonant makes Portuguese immediately recognizable and shows how Latin evolved differently in various regions of the Roman Empire.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.