What does “moleque” mean in Brazilian Portuguese?

Moleque is a Brazilian word for a boy or kid, usually one who is cheeky, playful or up to no good. A parent snapping ô moleque! is calling a child to order, while friends can say ele é muito moleque about a grown man who still acts like a prankster. The word came from Kimbundu, a language of Angola, where mu’leke means “little son” or “boy.”

It is one of many Brazilian words from Bantu languages brought by enslaved Angolans, along with caçula (youngest child) and cafuné (running fingers through someone’s hair). The feminine is moleca, and molecagem is a prank or a childish trick. The sweet pé de moleque is a peanut brittle. In the clip a father scolds his son with não quero mais te ver brincando com isso, moleque, and later uses seu moleque in a very different tone.