The English language contains vocabulary from all over the world. Searching for words with specific etymological roots? Check out this list of words that came from Indigenous American languages.
Word | Origin |
abalone | From the Rumsen word awlun, via Spanish. |
agouti | From Tupi-Guaraní akutí. |
alpaca | From Aymara allpaqa, via Spanish. |
apishamore | From Ojibwa apishamon. |
atamasco lily | From Virginia Algonquian attamusco. |
atlatl | From Nahuatl ahtlatl. |
avocado | From Nahuatl āhuacatl, via Spanish aguacate. |
axolotl | From Nahuatl āxōlōtl. |
babiche | From Canadian French, of Algonquian origin. |
barbecue | From American Spanish barbacoa, probably from Taino. |
bayou | From Choctaw bayuk, via Louisiana French. |
cocoa | Modification of Spanish cacao, which came from Nahuatl cacahuatl. |
caiman | From Carib acayuman, via Spanish. |
cannibal | From Taino Caniba. |
canoe | From Taino via Spanish canoa. |
caribou | From Miꞌkmaq γalipu. |
cashew | From Tupí akajú. |
cassava | From Taino caçábi, via Spanish. |
catalpa | From Creek katáłpa. |
cay | From Taino, via Spanish cayo. |
cayenne | From Tupí kyinha. |
cenote | From Yucatec Mayan ts'onot or conot, via Mexican Spanish. |
chayote | From Nahuatl chayohtli. |
cheechako | From Chinook Jargon chee (new) + chako (come). |
chia | From Nahuatl chía. |
chicle | From Nahautl tzictli. |
chili | From Nahuatl chīlli. |
chinquapin | From Virginia Algonquian chechinquamin. |
chipmunk | Originally "chitmunk," from Ojibwa ačitamo·nʔ. |
chocolate | From Nahuatl chocolātl. |
chuckwalla | From Cahuilla čáxwal. |
coca | From Quechua kuka. |
condor | From Quechua kuntur, via Spanish. |
coontie | From Creek kuntí. |
copal | From Nahuatl copalli. |
coyote | From Nahuatl coyōtl. |
dory | From Miskito dóri. |
epazote | From Nahuatl epazōtl. |
eulachon | From Chinook Jargon ulâkân. |
geoduck | From Lushootseed gʷídəq. |
guacamole | From Nahuatl āhuacamōlli, meaning "avocado sauce." |
guan | From Kuna kwama. |
guanaco | From Quechua wanaku, via Spanish. |
guano | From Quechua wanu, via Spanish. |
guava | From Taino guayavá, via Spanish. |
hammock | From Taino, via Spanish hamaca. |
hickory | From Virginia Algonquian pawcohiccora. |
hogan | From Navajo hooghan. |
hominy | From Virginia Algonquian. |
hurricane | From Taino hurakán, via Spanish. |
igloo | From Inuktitut iglu. |
iguana | From Arawak iwana. |
Inca | From Quechua inka. |
jaguar | From Tupi jawára or jaguara, via Portuguese. |
jaguarundi | From Guarani yaguarundi. |
jerky | From Quechua ch'arki, via Spanish charquí. |
kachina | From Hopi qacína. |
kayak | From Inuktitut qayaq. |
kinkajou | From Algonquian, via French quincajou. |
kinnikinnick | From Algonquian. |
lagniappe | From Quechua yapa, via American Spanish la ñapa. |
llama | From Quechua, via Spanish. |
maize | From Taino mahiz, via Spanish maíz. |
malamute | From Inupiat malimiut. |
manatee | From Carib, via Spanish manatí. |
mangrove | From Taino, via Spanish mangle or Portuguese mangue. |
manioc | From Tupí maniʔóka or mandiʔóka. |
maraca | From Tupí maraká. |
mesquite | from Nahuatl mizquitl. |
moccasin | From Virginia Algonquian mockasin. |
moose | From Eastern Abenaki mos. |
mugwump | From Algonquian. |
mukluk | From Yupik maklak. |
muskeg | From Creek maskēk. |
muskrat | From Algonquian. |
nanook | From Inuktitut nanug. |
nopal | From Nahuatl nohpalli. |
ocelot | From Nahuatl ōcēlōtl. |
opossum | From Algonquian aposoum or opassom. |
pampa | From Quechua. |
pemmican | From Creek pimihkān. |
persimmon | From Virginia Algonquian pessemmin. |
petunia | From Tupí petɨ́ma. |
peyote | From Nahuatl peyotl. |
piki | From Hopi píki. |
pipsissewa | From Eastern Abenaki kpipskwáhsawe. |
piranha | From Tupí pirã́ja. |
pogonip | From Shoshone paγɨnappɨh. |
poncho | From Mapudungun pontho. |
pone | From Virginia Algonquian appone. |
potato | From Taino, via Spanish batata. |
potlatch | From Nootka p̓aƛp̓ač, via Chinook Jargon patlač. |
powwow | From Narragansett powwaw. |
puccoon | From Virginia Algonquian poughkone. |
puma | From Quechua, via Spanish. |
pung | From an Algonquian language. |
quahog | From Narragansett poquaûhock. |
quetzal | From Nahuatl quetzalli. |
quinine | From Quechua kina, via Spanish quina. |
quinoa | From Quechua kinua. |
raccoon | From Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun. |
sachem | From Narragansett sâchim. |
sagamore | From Eastern Abenaki sakəma. |
salal | From Lower Chinook salál. |
sapodilla | From Nahuatl tzapotl. |
savanna | From Taino zabana. |
skookum | From Lower Chehalis skwəkwə́m. |
skunk | From Proto-Algonquian *šeka·kwa. |
soroche | From Quechua surúchi. |
squash (fruit) | From Narragansett askútasquash. |
succotash | From Narragansett msíckquatash. |
tamale | From Nahuatl tamalli. |
tapioca | From Tupí tɨpɨʔóka. |
tapir | From Tupí tapiʔíra. |
terrapin | From Virginia Algonquian *tōrəpēw. |
tobacco | Via Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino. |
toboggan | From Miꞌkmaq tobâgun. |
tomahawk | From Virginia Algonquian tamahaac. |
tomato | From Nahuatl tomatl. |
totem | From Ojibwa nindoodem or odoodeman. |
toucan | From Tupí tukána. |
tuckahoe | From Virginia Algonquian tockawhoughe. |
tule | From Nahuatl tōllin. |
tullibee | From Ojibwa oto·lipi, via French toulibi. |
tupelo | From Creek ito opilwa. |
vicuña | From Quechua wik'uña, via Spanish. |
wampum | From Narraganset wampompeag. |
wapatoo | From Creek wāpatowa. |
wickiup | From Fox wiikiyaapi. |
wigwam | From Eastern Abenaki wìkəwam. |
woodchuck | Related to Narragansett ockqutchaun. |
yaupon | From Catawba yą́pą. |
yuca | From Taino. |
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