Football legend Pele officially enters Brazilian dictionary, here’s what the word means
Pelé, which is the nickname of the late Brazilian football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento has officially entered the popular Brazilian Portuguese-language Michaelis dictionary.
The Brazilian dictionary has added the word “pelé” as an adjective to its digital edition.
Reportedly, the adjective will also be seen in the printed edition once the new edition is published.
The adjective will be used interchangeably with words “exceptional, incomparable, unique”. While describing someone possessing these qualities, the word “pelé ” can now be used.
This is being seen as a move to honour the legend and reminisce his never ending legacy.
This move came after a campaign by the Pelé Foundation to honour the football legend collected more than 125,000 signatures.
The exceptional footballer died aged 82 in December 2022 battling advanced colon cancer.
Pelé was a three times World Cup Champion, and is widely considered to be the greatest footballer the football world has witnessed. Throughout his 21-year career, he won 37 titles and scored a total of 1,279 goals in 1,363 games.
BBC reported that, during his playing career spanning two decades, he scored a record 1,281 goals with Brazilian club Santos, Brazil’s national team, and the New York Cosmos.
The entry reads: “pe.lé adj. That or someone who is out of the ordinary, who or who by virtue of their quality, value or superiority cannot be equalled to anything or anyone, just like Pelé, nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), who is considered the greatest athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique.”
According to the BBC, Pelé Foundation said it was a fitting tribute to “the king”.
“The expression already used to refer to someone who is the best at what they do has been [made eternal] on the pages of the dictionary!” the tweet reads.
