moleira

From Old Galician-Portuguese moleira (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria): mol (“soft”) +‎ -eira, referring to the unossified calvaria of babies.

• IPA^(key): [moˈlejɾɐ]

moleira f (plural moleiras)

1. fontanelle

   Synonym: fontanela

2. top of the head; head
   • 1671, Gabriel Feixoo, Contenda dos labradores de Caldelas:

     Homes, jentes à rribeira,
     tocai ò sino apilido,
     que esta o Roleiro firido
     polo medio da moleira.
     rapaces, mulleres, bellos
     eilos ben nunha bandada,

     Men, people, to the banks!
     Toll the bells, alarm!
     Roleiro is wounded
     by the middle of the head.
     Young ones, women, elders
     here they come together in a flock,

   • 1862, Manuel Magariños, Ferrocarril Compostelano:

     Non sei qué xuncras traguía na moleira o Seor Pedro, que o vin no outro onte carreirando, como un neno, e axuntando aos seus veciños, pra que onde ao seu palleiro fosen axiña a agoardá-lo; Eu non sei si un formigueiro de vermes lle boligaban entre os miolos dos sesos, pois semellaba a un doente, pro casi arrincando os pelos de debaixo da monteira, sin ton, nin son, e sin xeito; Eu non sei qué lle proía, eu non sei, si tiña o demo; porque os folgos eran fogos e os ollos dous candeeiros, e a cara toda prigada, amostrando os seus chavellos coa boca de un palmo aberta, babexado o fuciñeiro, parecía un estraloxe, un estraloxe de un vello

     I don't know what damned thing was bringing in his head Mr. Pedro, whom I saw the day before yesterday running around, as a kid, and gathering his neighbours asking them to come promptly to his barn and wait for him; I don't know if a colony of worms was scampering around the center of his brains, because he looked as a madman, almost pulling out the hair from under the hat, without rhyme of reason, and without care; I don't know what was itching him, I don't know if he was possessed by a demon; because his breath was fire and the eyes two lamps, and the face all folded, showing his fangs with mouth open wide, the snout drooled; he looked as a ravel, an old man's ravel

• mol

• “moleira” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
• “moleira” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
• “moleira” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
• “moleira” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “moleira” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Mole (“soft”) +‎ -eira, referring to the unossified calvaria of babies.

• IPA^(key): /mo.ˈlej.ɾa/

moleira f

1. the top of the head
   • 13th century CE, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 213 (facsimile):

     […] ca ficou todo britado. dos pees tro ena moleira

     […] that he became all bruised, from the feet to the top of the head.

• Hyphenation: mo‧lei‧ra

moleira f (plural moleiras)

1. fontanelle (soft spot on the head of babies)

   Synonym: fontanela