benção

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese beençon.

• Hyphenation: ben‧ção

benção f (plural benções or (as a misspelling) bençãos)

1. (now dialectal, sometimes proscribed) alternative form of bênção
   • 1552, João de Barros, Diogo de Couto, Da Asia de João de Barros e Diogo de Couto‎^[1], volume I, book V, chapter I, Lisbon: Regia Officina Typographica, published 1778, pages 390–391:

     […] por dar nome áquella terra per elle novamente achada, mandou arvorar huma Cruz mui grande no mais alto lugar de huma arvore, e ao pé della ſe diſſe Miſſa, a qual foi poſta com ſolemnidade de benções dos Sacerdotes, dando eſte nome á terra Sancta Cruz, quaſi como que por reverencia do Sacrificio, que ſe celebrou ao pé daquella arvore, e ſinal que ſe nella arvorou com tantas benções, e orações, ficava toda aquella terra dedicada a Deos, onde elle por ſua miſericordia haveria por bem ſer adorado per culto de Catholico povo, poſto que ao preſente tão çafaro delle eſtiveſſe aquelle Gentio.

     […] for giving name to that land newly discovered by him, he ordered a very large Cross to be raised at the highest point of a tree, and at its foot a Mass was said, which was conducted with solemn Priestly blessings. He gave the land the name Santa Cruz [Holy Cross], as though in reverence for the Sacrifice celebrated at the foot of that tree. And as the sign of the Cross had been raised there with such blessings and prayers, it was as if the whole land were henceforth dedicated to God, where by his mercy he would deem it fitting to be worshipped by a Catholic people, although for the present that Gentile nation remained so distant from him.

• This spelling is accepted as representing the variant oxytone pronunciation of the word; however, it is commonly used by speakers who pronounce the word as a paroxytone. In this context, the spelling is considered a misspelling.

• “Bênção” in Ciberdúvidas da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese).