LL-L: "Amerindian connections" (was "Historical linguistics") LOWLANDS-L, 09.AUG.2000 (03) [E/Spanish]

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From: Jorge Potter [jorgepot at caribe.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Historical linguistics" LOWLANDS-L, 07.AUG.2000 (01) [E]

Stefan Israel wrote:

> Remarkably few Amerindian words made it into English.
> Amerindian place names are common, but only some words
> like moccasin, tepee, wigwam, squaw, pemmican have
> been adopted, and most of those refer to Amerindian
> culture.

Remarkably, Caribbean words seem to have entered European languages,
including English more than continental Amerindian terms. The "Taínos" came
to live in the Greater Antilles about 200 years before the Spanish arrived,
either descendants of previous Arawak settlers, or as a new wave coming up
the chain from South America. Their vocabulary tended to enter Spanish,
Portuguese and French before English and their early date may explain their
preponderance in their spread to other languages.


Taíno words in English:

anonaceae
barbecue
cacique
canoe
cassava
guava
hammock

hurricane == "Huracán" was the evil god of the man-eating Caribs, dwelling in
"La Souffrière in Martinique, who has often blown us an ill wind during the
historical period.

iguana
key (in the sense of coral island)
maize
manatee
mangrove
maraca
savannah
tobacco
yucca

Also the national names:

Cuba
Jamaica
Quisqueya (Hispaniola)
Borinquen (Puerto Rico)

In all of Puerto Rico and to a lesser extent the other Greater Antilles, most
of the place names are Taíno:

Ceiba
Humacao
Caguas
Guaynabo
Guánica
Mayagüez
Etc.

Of course, the above geographical names are typical of the Americas. Any map
of North or South America with place names is a linguistic Amerindian atlas.
The demarcations between language groups are obvious.

Here in Puerto Rico, in the Spanish vernacular, we still use mostly the old
Taíno words for the plants and animals still present from Taíno days. These
are just a few:

anamú = a specific, stinky, obnoxious weed, "the only thing cows won’t eat."

caculo = June bug
carey = sea turtle
jagüey = two native species of Ficus (tree)
maga = lovely tree flower of the mallow family (like hollyhock)
múcaro = owl
parcha = passionfruit
etc. etc.

One word that didn’t survive is the word for pineapple. We still cultivate
the most delicious and biggest variety of pineapple in the world, the same as
the Taínos planted, called the "cabezona" (= big headed). Any Lowlanders that
show up in SW Puerto Rico are guaranteed to get the fruit and all the piñas
coladas they want.

Jorge Potter

----------

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Amerindian connections

Jorge wrote:

> Taíno words in English:
<snip>

But aren't some or even most of these indirect loans, having reached English
via Spanish?

> Any Lowlanders that show up in SW Puerto Rico are guaranteed to get the > fruit and all the piñas coladas they want.

Hmmm!

¿Piñas gigantes y deliciosas? ¡Gracias, Jorge! ¿Es una invitación? ¿Cuántas
personas puede usted acomodar en su mansión?

Respetos, Ron

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