Emprestelhe
Emprestelhe is a term used in discussions of informal finance to describe a lending practice that combines elements of social trust and limited formal contracts. It refers to arrangements in which members of a network extend small loans to one another, with repayment and risk bearing shaped by social relationships rather than solely by legal agreements.
Origin and terminology: Emprestelhe appears as a neologism in academic and practitioner literature on financial inclusion,
Mechanisms and typical features: Loans are typically small, short-term, and rely on reputation, reciprocity, and community
Applications and implications: Emprestelhe is studied as a complement to formal microfinance, potentially expanding access to
See also: microfinance, peer-to-peer lending, social lending, informal credit networks.