meiga

Meiga is a term in Galician and Portuguese that can denote a female practitioner of magic, typically described as a witch or sorceress in folklore. In traditional Galician and northern Portuguese belief, a meiga is a woman believed to wield magical powers, capable of healing or protecting households with charms, remedies, or spells, or of causing harm through witchcraft. The meiga figure appears in rural legends and popular culture as a complex character who may be revered for wisdom and healing or feared as a bringer of misfortune; regional variants and anecdotes reflect attitudes toward witchcraft, gender, and community safety.

In modern usage, the word also functions as a term of endearment in Brazilian Portuguese, where meiga describes a person who is gentle, sweet, or charming. The noun is feminine; masculine forms such as meigo exist, though far less common in everyday speech. Related terms include meiguice, meaning sweetness or gentleness.