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Writer's pictureIshmael Bey

List of Words that come from Indigenous Languages




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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