The Michaelis dictionary in Portugal has officially included the Brazilian football icon, ‘Pele’, in its entries as an adjective that describes someone who is ‘out of the ordinary.’
The decision to add ‘Pele’ to the dictionary is the result of a campaign that garnered over 125,000 signatures, acknowledging his influence that extends beyond the realm of football.
For the 265 million Portuguese speakers worldwide, the term ‘pele’ can now be used to describe something or someone extraordinary, a usage that has been informally established in Brazil.
According to the new entry, the word ‘pele’ is defined as ‘exceptional, incomparable, unique’ – qualities synonymous with the football ‘King’ himself.
The three-time World Cup winner passed away in December at the age of 82 after battling colon cancer.
The dictionary entry denotes: ‘The one that is extraordinary, or who because of his quality, value or superiority cannot be matched to anything or anyone, just like Pele; nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), considered the best athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique.’
Examples of usage are provided as well: ‘He is the Pele of basketball, she is the Pele of tennis, she is the Pele of Brazilian theater, he is the Pele of medicine.’
The Pele Foundation, Santos FC – where he spent most of his career – and many Brazilians have expressed their joy at the decision made by one of the most popular dictionaries in the country.
Following the announcement, Pele’s social media channels declared: ‘The expression that was already used to refer to the best at something is now eternally included in the dictionary. We made history together and put the name of the King of Soccer into the Portuguese language. Pele means “THE BEST”.’
Joe Fraga, the executive director of the Pele Foundation, remarked, ‘The Pele campaign in the dictionary is one of the most original we have ever participated in. Having his name in the dictionary is a crucial part of his legacy that will ensure Pele’s eternal presence.’
Pele achieved a world record of 1,281 goals during his career spanning over two decades with Santos (1956-74), the Brazilian national team, and the New York Cosmos (1975-77).
