fascineroso. (Spanish) A torrid or agitated person
Fernandina. Christopher Columbus’s early attempt to rename Cuba
goeiz (a). (Taíno) “Spirit of (in) a living person”
Gonzalo. A captain under Enriquillo
Guaikán. (Taíno) A remora, pilot fish, or sucker fish; Diego Colón’s Indian name
Guamax. Taíno cacique of Baracoa area of eastern Cuba
Guamíquina. (Taíno) Chief or head man; the name given to Columbus by his early hosts
Guanahabax. Name combining Guanahaní, “the island,” and bax, “principal man”
Guanahaní. Indian name for the Bahamian island first sighted by Columbus
Guanahaníkan. Name combining Guanahaní (the name of the island) with kan, Taíno for “center,”(as in Cubanakán, an Indian region in central Cuba)
guanguayo. (Taíno) Spittle of mixed cohoba and tobacco juice; spat on Deminán’s back by Bayamonacoel
guanin. (Taíno) A shiny metal or copper
guarikén. A Taíno expression, registered by Las Casas, meaning “Come look and see”
Guarionex. Taíno cacique of the region of Magua, in Española
Guarocuya. Enriquillo’s Taíno name; also, an earlier Taíno rebellious cacique
guásima. Cuban “tree of life,” sacred to Taíno and their guajiro ethnic and cultural descendants
guatiao. (Taíno) Friend, particularly one with whom a name has been exchanged
guaxeri (later guajiro). (Taíno) “One of our humans,” or countryman
guayaba. (Taíno) A sweet fruit with high ceremonial importance; guava (Psidium guajava)
güira. (Taíno) Gourd (Crescentia cujete)
Hatuey. “Certainty of Sun in the Sky”; Taíno cacique from Española who fled over to Cuba, warning of Spanish lust for gold
hicara. (Taíno) Receptacle made out of a gourd
hicotea. (Taíno) Freshwater turtle
higüe. (Taíno) “Little people” who normally live around a stream or spring
himagua. (Taíno) Twin
hutía. Rodent of the West Indies (Solenodon paradoxus), eaten by early Taíno and present-day guajiro
hyen. (Taíno) The poisonous juice of the yucca after it’s squeezed from the scraped pulp
iguana. (Taíno) A large, edible lizard (Iguana tuberculata)
inriri. (Taíno) Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis)
Itiba Cahobaba. Taíno female deity, mother of the four creator twins, including the one named Deminán
jaba. (Taíno) Sack or bag
jaguajiguatu. Reconstructed Taino word meaning “fire in the loins”
kaçi. (Taíno) Moon
Kwaib. Term used by contemporary chiefs of the Carib territory in Salybia, Dominica, to describe their people
lucayo. Taíno-derived word for the Taíno inhabiting the small Bahamian islands
macana. War club made of the palm tree
macanear. To hit (common verb in West Indies); from the Taíno word for “war club” or “coral ax,” macana
Macorixe. A little-documented Caribbean indigenous people identified at various times in Española, Jamaica, and Cuba, noted for their archery
macoutí. (Taíno) “Without feet”; back sack
maguacokío. (Taíno) “Covered men with swords that can cut a man in half with one strike”
Maguana. Taíno cacicasgo in south central Española led by cacique Caonabó at contact
mahá. (Taíno) The largest nonpoisonous snake in the Greater Antilles
maize. Taíno-derived word for corn; Maisí Point, easternmost point in Cuba
mamey. (Taíno) A tropical fruit
manatí. Antillean sea cow, or manatee (Trichechus manatus)
manaya. (Taíno) Stone hatchet
manigua. (Taíno) High grass country; also wild country
mánso. (Castilian) Tame; an Indian living in the Spanish hold
maraca. (Taíno) Rattle made from a gourd
maravedí. Spanish copper coin with limited purchasing power
Marién. A chiefdom and territory of Española
Matininó. Caribbean island(s) reputedly inhabited by Amazonian women
Mencia. Wife of cacique Enriquillo, a leader of noble Taíno lineage
naboria. (Taíno) A class of workers, not clearly slaves, that served Taíno society in domestic and field work, likely from earlier migrant groups to the islands
ni-taíno. (Caribbean Indian) The rank of principal people, council of elders, just under the cacique families; the more constant form of Taíno used throughout history
ñame. Likely Taíno word for edible sweet tuber, or sweet potato; there is dispute as to the Amerindian or African origins of this word.
oidor. (Castilian) A type of judge or “hearer” in the colonial Spanish legal system
opía. (Taíno) The spirit of the human and animals after death
Opiyelguobirán. Taíno cemi and guardian spirit of the Spirit World
repartimientos. The act of giving out or splitting of lands with Indians attached to form encomiendas
Romero. A captain under Enriquillo
sinrazón. (Castilian) Action, usually brusque, “without reason”
Taíno. (Caribbean Indian) The aboriginal inhabitants of Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and other lesser islands; self-descriptive, meaning “noble” or “good” people
Tamayo. Enriquillo’s principal captain
Turey. (Taíno) Sky; also a type of medallion worn by chiefs
Urayoán. Boricua cacique, sometimes written as Broyoan, who drowned a Spaniard to test whether in fact the covered men were immortal
xaiba. (Taíno) Antillean freshwater crab (Callinectes diacanthus)
Xamayca. (Taíno) Present-day Jamaica
Xaraguá. Territory of cacique Bohechio, in southwestern Española
xiba. (Taíno) Stone and woody mountain
xikí. (Taíno) A tree that has a very hard wood
Ya. (Taíno) Strong or vital spirit
yaguasa. (Taíno) An indigenous Cuban duck
Yara. Place near Cuban city of Bayamo, where Hatuey was immolated
Yaquimo. Port town in southern Española; also, Puerto Brazil
Yoruba. Tribal people from eastern Africa, many of whom were brought to the Caribbean as slaves
yuán. A reconstructed Taíno word for “penis,” from iu, “yucca,” the form of the tuber, and ia or an, “vital force”
Yucahuguama Bagua Maórocoti. Supreme being in the Taíno cosmology. A triple name meaning “One who brings the yucca,” “rules the sea,” and “is without ancestral grandfathers,” born of woman only
yucca. (Taíno) Manioc, a primary tropical root crop
yukaieke. (Taíno) Village or settlement
Yunque. A flat-peaked promontory form found near the ocean in Cuba and in Borikén
About the Author
Presently a senior scholar at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, José Barreiro is a novelist, essayist, and activist of nearly four decades on American indigenous hemispheric themes. Barreiro is a member of the Taíno Nation of the Antilles.
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