daquele

Daquele is a contracted Portuguese form created from de + aquele, used as a prepositional determiner or pronoun meaning “of that” or “from that” when referring to a masculine singular noun. It is common in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, though its frequency and nuance can vary by context and region.

Morphology and related forms include daquele (masculine singular), daquela (feminine singular), daqueles (masculine plural), and daquelas (feminine plural). There is also daquilo, a contraction of de + aquilo, which functions as a neuter pronoun meaning “of that” or “from that” without a specific gender. These forms enable precise reference to items, places, or ideas previously identified or assumed in discourse.

Usage notes describe several typical functions. Daquele marks a relationship of origin, possession, or association with a masculine singular noun, as in: A cor daquele carro é impressionante. Ele citou a opinião daquele especialista. It can also introduce relative clauses or set phrases: daquilo que você disse, não confio. While common in everyday speech, it may appear in formal writing as well due to its basic grammatical role as a prepositional contraction.

Etymology highlights that the form arises from the fusion of the preposition de with the demonstrative aquele, governed by gender and number agreement. The corresponding feminine, plural, and neuter variants reflect standard Portuguese agreement rules.

In summary, aquele is the base demonstrative, and daquele serves as a versatile, widely used contraction to specify relationships with a masculine singular referent, with parallel forms for other genders and numbers.