List of Indigenous names of Caribbean islands

This list is a compilation of the indigenous names that were given by Amerindian people to the caribbean islands before the Europeans started naming them. The islands of the Caribbean were successively settled since at least around 5000 BC, long before European arrival in 1492. The Caribbean islands were dominated by two main cultural groups by the European contact period: the Taino and the Kalinago. Individual villages of other distinct cultural groups were also present on the larger islands. The island of Trinidad in particular was shared by both Kalinago and Arawak groups.

Map of the indigenous languages of the Caribbean in 1492

Current evidence suggests there were two major migrations to the Caribbean. The first migration was of pre-Arawakan people like the Ciguayo who most likely migrated from Central America. The second major migration was the Arawaks settling the islands as they traveled north from the Orinoco River in Venezuela.[1] The Kalinago people, who were more dominant in warfare, began a campaign of conquering and displacement of the Arawaks at the point of European arrival. Starting at the southern end of the archipelago, they had worked their way north, reaching as far as the island of Saint Kitts by the 16th century.

The islands north of the Saint Kitts 'borderline' had Arawak names while the islands south of it had Kalinago names. The island of Barbados was uninhabited at the point of European arrival, but evidence suggests that Barbados followed the same pattern of displacement as witnessed on neighbouring islands, but that it was abandoned for unknown reasons. The only indigenous name on record for Barbados is one documented as the name used by Arawak peoples on Trinidad in reference to that island.

Present Island Name Indigenous Name Origin Meaning
Anguilla Malliouhana Arawak Arrow-Shaped Sea Serpent
St. Martin Soualiga

Oualichi

Arawak Land of Salt; Land of Beautiful women
St. Barths Ouanalao Arawak Toad on Top
Saba Siba

Amonhana

Arawak The Rock
St. Eustatius Aloi Arawak Cashew Tree
Vieques Bieke Taino Small
Saint Croix Ay Ay Taino The River
Saint Kitts Liamuiga Kalinago Fertile Land
Nevis Oualie Kalinago Land of Beautiful Water
Montserrat Alliouagana Kalinago Land of Prickly Bush
Barbuda Wa'omoni Kalinago Land of the herons (broader interpretation: Land of the large birds)
Antigua Waladli Kalinago Land of Fish Oil
Redonda Ocananmanrou Kalinago Unknown
Guadeloupe Karukera Kalinago Island of Gumtrees
Marie Galante Aichi

Touloukaera

Aulinagan

Kalinago

Arawak

Arawak

Land of chili peppers; Land of touloulou crabs; Land of cotton
Present Island Name Indigenous Name Origin Meaning
Dominica Wai'tukubuli

Kairi

Kalinago

Arawak

Tall is Her Body

Island

Martinique Jouanacaeira Kalinago Land of Iguana
St. Lucia Hewanorra Kalinago Land of the Iguana
Saint Vincent Hairouna Kalinago Land of the Blessed
Bequia Becouya Kalinago Island of the Clouds
Canouan Cannouan Kalinago Island of Turtles
Carriacou Kayryouacou Kalinago Island of Reefs
Grenada Camerhogne Kalinago / Galibi? Conception Island

Continental

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Present Island Name Indigenous Name Origin Meaning
Barbados Ichirouganaim Arawak Red land/island with white teeth (reefs)
Tobago Tobago Kalinago / Galibi? Tobacco Pipe
Trinidad Kairi

Iere

Kalinago Land of the Hummingbird

Greater Antilles

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Present Island Name Indigenous Name Origin Meaning
Hispaniola Ayiti

Quisqueya

Taino

Ciguayo[2]

Rough earth; Mother of all lands
Cuba Cobao Taino Large island or place
Puerto Rico Borikén Taino Land of the Valiant and Noble Lord
Jamaica Yamaye Taino Land of Wood and Water or Land of Springs

Lucayan Archipelago

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Julian Granberry and Gary Vescelius suggest the following Lucayan (Taíno) etymologies for various Lucayan islands.[3]

Modern name Indigenous name Indigenous form Origin Meaning
Inagua Inagua i+na+wa Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Eastern Land
Inagua Baneque ba+ne+ke Taino (Lucayan dialect) Big Water Island
Little Inagua Guanahaní wa+na+ha+ni Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Upper Waters Land
Ragged Island Utiaquia huti+ya+kaya Taino (Lucayan dialect) Western Hutia Island
Crooked/Jumento Jume(n)to ha+wo+ma+te Taino (Lucayan dialect) Upper Land of the Middle Distance
Exuma Curateo ko+ra+te+wo Taino (Lucayan dialect) Outer Far Distant Land
Exuma Guaratía wa+ra+te+ya Taino (Lucayan dialect) Far Distant Land
Turks Bank Babueca ba+we+ka Taino (Lucayan dialect) Large Northern Basin
Big Sand Cay Cacina ka+si+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Little Northern Sand
Salt Cay Canamani ka+na+ma+ni Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Northern Mid-Waters
Salt Cay Cacumani ka+ko+ma+ni Taino (Lucayan dialect) Mid-Waters Northern Outlier
Cotton Cay Macareque Ma+ka+ri+ke Taino (Lucayan dialect) Middle Northern Land
Grand Turk Amuana aba+wa+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) First Small Land
South Caicos Caciba ka+siba Taino (Lucayan dialect) Northern Rocky
East Caicos Guana wa+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Country
Middle Caicos Aniana a+ni+ya+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Far Waters
North Caicos Caicos ka+i+ko Taino (Lucayan dialect) Nearby Northern Outlier
Pine Cay Buiana bu+ya+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Western Home
Pine Cays Boniana bo+ni+ya+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Western Waters Home
Providenciales Yucanacan yuka+na+ka Taino (Lucayan dialect) The Peoples Small Northern [Land]
Providenciales Ianicana ya+ni+ka+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Far Waters Smaller [Land]
West Caicos Macubiza ma+ko+bi+sa Taino (Lucayan dialect) Mid Unsettled Outlier
Mayaguana Mayaguana ma+ya+wa+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Lesser Midwestern Land
Plana Cays Amaguayo a+ma+wa+yo Taino (Lucayan dialect) Toward the Middle Lands
Acklins Island Yabaque ya+ba+ke Taino (Lucayan dialect) Large Western Land
Samana Samana sa+ma+na Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Middle Forest
Long Island Yuma yu+ma Taino (Lucayan dialect) Higher Middle
Rum Cay Manigua ma+ni+wa Taino (Lucayan dialect) Mid Waters Land
San Salvador Guanahaní wa+na+ha+ni Taino (Lucayan dialect) Small Upper Waters Land
Little San Salvador Guateo wa+te+yo Taino (Lucayan dialect) Toward the Distant Land
Cat Island Guanima wa+ni+ma Taino (Lucayan dialect) Middle Waters Land
Great Guana Cay Ayrabo ay+ra+bo Taino (Lucayan dialect) Far Distant Home
New Providence Nema ne+ma Taino (Lucayan dialect) Middle Waters
Eleuthera Ciguateo siba+te+wo Taino (Lucayan dialect) Distant Rocky Place
Great Abaco Lucayoneque luka+ya+ne+ke Taino (Lucayan dialect) The People's Distant Waters Land
Grand Bahama Bahama ba+ha+ma Taino (Lucayan dialect) Large Upper Middle [Land]
Andros Habacoa ha+ba+ko+wa Taino (Lucayan dialect) Large Upper Outlier Land
Williams Island Canimisi ka+ni+misi Taino (Lucayan dialect) Northern Waters Swamp
Bimini Bimini bi+mi+ni Taino (Lucayan dialect) The Twins

See also

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References

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  • Society for Caribbean Linguistics. "SCL Frequently Asked Questions". Auburn University: Center for Diversity and Race Relations. Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 22 March 2008.
  1. ^ van Hoose, Natalie. "Ancient DNA retells story of Caribbean's first people". Florida Museum. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
  2. ^ Granberry and Vescelius, pp. 36
  3. ^ Granberry, Julian, & Gary Vescelius (2004). Languages of the Pre-Columbian Antilles. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press. ISBN 0-8173-5123-X.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)