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<HTML> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text-html; charset=utf-8"> <HEAD><TITLE>Amerindian Words in English</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY bgcolor="#E0E0F0"> <IMG Align=Top SRC="berries.jpg"> <H2>Words in English from Amerindian Languages</H2> <I>Compiled by Mark Rosenfelder. This list may seem exhaustive, but it’s not-- the OED lists a few hundred more words. But they’re pretty obscure. </i> <hr> <br>abalone - <font color="#880000">Costanoan</font> <i>aulun</i> <br>achiote - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>achiotl</i> <br>agouti - <font color="#505000">Guarani</font> <i>acutí</i> <br>alpaca - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>allpaka</i> <br>annatto - <font color="#505000">Caribbean</font> <br>anorak - <font color="#40C050">Eskimo</font> <i>ánorâq</i> <br>atlatl - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>atlatl</i> ‘spear-thrower’ <br>avocado - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>ahuacatl</i> <br>axolotl - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>atl</i> ‘water’ + <i>xolotl</i> ‘spirit’ <p>barbecue - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> <i>barbricot</i> <br>bayou - <font color="#880000">Choctaw</font> bayuk <br>buccaneer - <font color="#505000">Tupi</font> <i>mocaen</i> ‘grill for frying or curing meat’ <p>cacique - <font color="#450065">Arawak</font> <i>kassequa</i> ‘chief’ <br>cacomistle - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>tlacomiztli</i> <br>caiman - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> <i>acayuman</i> <br>cannibal - <font color="#505000">Tupi</font> <i>caryba</i> ‘superior man’ <br>canoe - <font color="#505000">Caribbean</font> <i></i> <br>capybara - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i></i> <br>caribou - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i></i> <br>carnauba [wax] - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i></i> <br>cassava - <font color="#505000">Taino</font> <i>caçábi</i> <br>cashew - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>acajú</i> <br>caucho, Fr. <i>caoutchouc</i> - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>kawchu</i> <br>caucus - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>caucauasu</i> ‘counselor’ <br>cavy - <font color="#505000">Galibi</font> <i>cabiai</i>, or perhaps <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>qowi</i> <br>cayenne - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>kyinha</i> <br>chocolate - <font color="#FF8800">Aztec</font> <i>chikolatl</i> possibly ‘water (made with a) chikol (stick)’ <br>chayote - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>chayotli</i> <br>cherimoya - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>chirimuya</i> <br>chigger - <font color="#505000">Cariban</font> <i>chigo</i> <br>chile, chili - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>chilli</i> <br>chinchilla - <font color="#8800FF">Aymara</font> <i>chinchilla </i> <br>chipmunk - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>chitmunk</i> <br>chunkey [game] - <font color="#FFFF00">Catawba</font> <i>chenco</i> <br>cigar - <font color="#880000">Maya</font> <i>sik’ar</i> ‘smoke’ <br>coati - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>coatí</i> <br>coca - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>kuka</i> <br>cocoa, cacao - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>cacahuatl</i> (Note: French <i>cacahuète</i> is from <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font><i>tlacucahuatl</i>) <br>coho [salmon] - <font color="#4444FF">Salish</font> <br>condor - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>kuntur</i> <br>copal - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>copalli</i> ‘resin’ <br>cougar - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>suasuarana</i> ‘like a deer’ <br>coyote - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>cóyotl</i> <br>coypu - <font color="#880000">Araucanian</font> <i>kóypu</i> <br>curare - <font color="#505000">Cariban</font> <i>kurari</i> <p>dory - <font color="#006000">Miskito</font> <i>dóri</i> <p>enchilada - ultimately from <i>chile</i> <p>Great Spirit - loan translation of <font color="#4444FF">Ojibwa</font> <i>kitchi manitou</i> <br>grouper [fish] - <font color="#450065">Ge-Pano-Carib</font>? <br>guacamole - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>ahuaca-molli</i> ‘avocado sauce’ <br>guano - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>wanu</i> <br>guacharo - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>wachu</i> <br>guarana - <font color="#505000">Tupi</font> <i>guaraná</i> <br>gaucho - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>wakcha</i> ‘poor person’ <br>guava - <font color="#505000">Caribbean</font> <i></i> <br>guanaco - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>wanaku</i> <p>hammock - <font color="#505000">Taino</font> <i></i> <br>high muckamuck - <font color="#880000">Chinook</font> <i>hiu muckamuck</i> <br>hickory - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>pawcohiccora</i> <br>hoatzin - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>uatzin</i> <br>hogan - <font color="#EE7070">Navajo</font> <i>hogan</i> <br>hominy - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i></i> <br>how [greeting] - <font color="#FFFF00">Dakota</font> <i>háo</i>, <font color="#FFFF00">Omaha</font> <i>hau</i> <br>hurricane - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> <i>huracan</i> ‘his one leg’ - the name of a god <br>husky [dog] - corruption of ‘Eskimo’, ultimately <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i></i> <p>igloo - <font color="#40C050">Eskimo</font> <i>iglu</i> <br>iguana - <font color="#450065">Arawak</font> <i>iwana</i> <br>Inca - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>inka</i> <br>ipecac - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>ipe-kaa-guéne</i> ‘medicinal plant’ <p>jacana - <font color="#505000">Tupi-Guarani</font> <i>jasaná</i> <br>jackaranda - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>yacarandá</i> <br>jaguar - <font color="#450065">Guarani</font> <i>jaguá</i> <br>jerky - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>ch’arki</i> <br>jicama - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>xicamatl</i> <p>kachina - <font color="#FF8800">Hopi</font> <i>qacina</i> <br>kayak - <font color="#40C050">Eskimo</font> <i>qajaq</i> <br>kiva - <font color="#FF8800">Hopi</font> <i></i> <p>lagniappe - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>yapay</i> ‘add, addition’ <br>lima [bean] - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>rimay</i> ‘speak’ (Lima, the city, is named after the river Rimaq, i.e ‘Speaking’) <br>llama - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>llama</i> <p>macaw - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>macahuba</i> <br>maguey - <font color="#505000">Taino</font> <br>mahogany - of unknown origin, but the tree is Caribbean... <br>maize - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> <i>mahiz</i> <br>malamute - <font color="#40C050">Eskimo</font> <i>Mahlemut</i> ethnonym <br>mangrove - <font color="#505000">Taino</font> <i>mangle</i> <br>manioc - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>mandioca</i> <br>maraca - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i></i> <br>maté - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>mati</i> <br>mescal - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>mexcalli</i> <br>mesquite - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>mizquitl</i> <br>moccasin - <font color="#4444FF">Natick</font> <i>mohkussin</i> <br>mole - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>-molli</i> ‘sauce’ <br>moose - <font color="#4444FF">Natick</font> <i>moos</i> <br>mugwump - <font color="#4444FF">Natick</font> <i>mugquomp</i> ‘captain’ <br>mukluk - <font color="#40C050">Eskimo</font> <i>muklok</i> ‘large seal’ <br>muktuk - <font color="#40C050">Eskimo</font> <i>maktak</i> <br>muskrat - <font color="#4444FF">Natick</font> <i>musquash</i> + ‘rat’ <p>ocelot - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>ocelotl</i> <br>opossum - <font color="#4444FF">Powhatan</font> <i>aposoum</i> <p>papaya - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> <i></i> <br>paca - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>páca</i> <br>pampa - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>pampa</i> ‘flat’ <br>papoose - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>papoos</i> <br>parka - <font color="#40C050">Aleut</font> <i>parka</i> ‘skin’ (< Russian < Samoyed!) <br>pawpaw - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> (same source as papaya) <br>pecan - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>paccan</i> <br>peccary - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> <i>pakira</i> <br>pekan - <font color="#4444FF">Abnaki</font> <i>pékané</i> <br>pemmican - <font color="#4444FF">Cree</font> <i>pimikân</i> <br>persimmon - <font color="#4444FF">Cree</font> <i>pasiminan</i> ‘dried fruit’ <br>petunia - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>petyn</i> <br>peyote - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>peyotl</i> <br>piranha - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>pirátsainha</i> <br>pirogue - <font color="#505000">Carib</font> <br>poncho - <font color="#880000">Araucanian</font> <i>pontho</i> <br>pone - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>äpân</i> <br>potato - <font color="#505000">Taino</font> <i>batata</i> <br>potlatch - <font color="#4444FF">Nootka</font> <i>patshatl</i> <br>powwow - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i></i> <br>pulque - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>poliuhqui</i> ‘spoiled’ <br>puma - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>puma</i> <br>pung [work sled] - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>tom-pong</i> <p>quahog - <font color="#4444FF">Narraganset</font> <i>poquaúhock</i> <br>quetzal - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>quetzall</i> <br>quipu - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>khipu </i>’knot’ <br>quinoa - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>kinwa</i> <br>quinine - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>kinakina</i> <p>raccoon - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>arathkone</i> <p>sachem - <font color="#4444FF">Narraganset</font> <i>sâchim</i> <br>saguaro - <font color="#FF8800">Pima </font> <br>samp - <font color="#4444FF">Narraganset</font> <i>nasàump</i> <br>sapodilla - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>tzapotl</i> <br>sasquatch - <font color="#4444FF">Halkomelem</font> <i>sesqəc</i> <br>savannah - <font color="#505000">Taino</font> <i>zabana</i> <br>seapoose [riptide] - <font color="#4444FF">Munsee</font> <i>sepoûs</i> <br>scuppernong - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> (from a river name) <br>shack - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl </font> <i>xacalli</i> ‘thatched cabin’ <br>shark - <font color="#880000">Maya</font> <i>xoc</i> <br>skunk - <font color="#4444FF">Massachuset</font> <i>squnck</i> <br>squash - <font color="#4444FF">Massachuset</font> <i>askōōtasquash</i> <br>squaw - <font color="#4444FF">Massachuset</font> <i>squa</i> <br>sockeye [salmon] - <font color="#4444FF">Salish</font> <i>sukkegh</i>, or <font color="#4444FF">Northern Straits Salish</font> <i>seqey’</i> <br>sofkee - <font color="#880000">Muskogean</font> <i>safki</i> <br>succotash - <font color="#4444FF">Narraganset</font> <i>msíckquatash</i> <p>tamale - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>tamalli</i> <br>tamandua - <font color="#505000">Tupi</font> <i>tamanduá</i> ‘ant-catcher’ <br>tamarack - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i></i> <br>tamarin [monkey] - <font color="#505000">Galibi</font> <br>tanager - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>atá</i> ‘walk’ + <i>carâ</i> ‘around’ <br>Tanis - <font color="#4444FF">Cree</font> ‘little daughter’ <br>tapioca - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>tipioca</i> ‘residue’ <br>tapir - <font color="#450065">Guarani</font> <i>tapiira</i> <br>teocalli - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>teocalli</i> <br>teosinte - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>teocentli</i> <br>tepee - <font color="#FFFF00">Dakota</font> <i>thipi</i> <br>terrapin - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>*toolepeiwa</i> <br>tinamou - <font color="#450065">Galibi</font> <i>tinamu</i> <br>tobacco - <font color="#450065">Arawak</font> <i>tzibatl</i> <br>tomahawk - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>tamahaac</i> <br>toboggan - <font color="#4444FF">Micmac</font> <i>tobākan</i> <br>totem - <font color="#4444FF">Ojibwa</font> <i>nintōtēm</i> <br>tomato - <font color="#FF8800">Nahuatl</font> <i>tomatl</i> <br>tonka [bean] - <font color="#505000">Galibi</font> <br>toucan - <font color="#450065">Tupi</font> <i>tucana</i> <p>umiak - <font color="#40C050">Eskimo</font> <i></i> <p>vicuña - <font color="#8800FF">Quechua</font> <i>wik’uña</i> <p>wampum - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>wampumpeage</i> <br>wapiti - <font color="#4444FF">Shawnee</font> <i>wapiti</i> ‘white rump’ <br>wickiup - <font color="#4444FF">Fox</font> <i>wikiyapi</i> <br>wigwam - <font color="#4444FF">Abnaki</font> <i>wikewam</i> <br>Winona - <font color="#FFFF00">Dakota</font> <i>Winũnã</i> <br>woodchuck - <font color="#4444FF">Algonquian</font> <i>otchek</i> <p>yautia - <font color="#505000">Taino</font> <br>yucca - <font color="#450065">Arawak</font> <p>Could <b>uh-uh</b> and <b>uh-unh</b> come from <font color="#FFFF00">Cherokee</font>? They’re Americanisms, and the former at least recalls the Cherokee negative, a nasalized high vowel. On the other hand, some have claimed an African origin for these expressions. And on the third hand— you need a lot of hands in philology— nasals with negatives and central vowels are suspiciously common across the world (like "mama" or "papa"), and are thus hard to attribute to borrowing. <p><b>Place names</b> from Amerindian languages are legion; I’ll just note one: <b>Chicago</b>, from <font color="#4444FF">Menominee</font> <i>shəkããkw</i>, the locative of ‘skunk’-- i.e. ‘skunk place’, according to Jim Fidelholtz; but others derive it from a <font color="#4444FF">Miami-Illinois</font> word for ‘place where wild onions grow’. <HR> Colors match up with the families on the <a href="numbers.shtml">numbers list</a>: <font color="#40C050">Eskimo-Aleut</font>, <font color="#EE7070">Na-Dené,</font> <font color="#4444FF">Almosan,</font> <font color="#FFFF00">Macro-Siouan,</font> <font color="#880000">Penutian,</font> <font color="#FF8800">Aztec-Panoan,</font> <font color="#006000">Chibchan,</font> <font color="#8800FF">Andean,</font> <font color="#450065">Equatorial,</font> <font color="#505000">Ge-Pano-Carib.</font> <hr><center><A HREF="default.html"><img src="homeg.gif" alt="Home" border=0></A></center> </BODY> </HTML>