The Arawack Language of Guiana in its Linguistic and Ethnological Relations Part 4

Bixa, an ointment. (Las Casas, Hist. Apol. cap. 241.)

Cai, cayo, or cayco, an island. From this the Sp. _cayo_, Eng. _key_, in the "Florida keys." Ar. _kairi_, an island.

Caiman, an alligator, Ar. _kaiman_, an alligator, lit. to be strong.

Caona or cauni, gold. (Pet. Martyr, Decad. p. 26, Ed. Colon, 1564). Ar.

_kaijaunan_, to be precious, costly.

Caracol, a conch, a univalve sh.e.l.l. From this the Sp. _caracol_.

(Richardo, Dicc. Provin. s. v). Probably from Galibi _caracoulis_, trifles, ornaments. (See Martius, Sprachenkunde, B. II, p. 332.)

Caney or cansi, a house of conical shape.

Canoa, a boat. From this Eng. _canoe_. Ar. _kannoa_, a boat.

Casique, a chief. This word was afterwards applied by Spanish writers to the native rulers throughout the New World. Ar. _ka.s.siquan_ (from _ussequa_, house), to have or own a house or houses; equivalent, therefore, to the Eng. landlord.

Cimu or simu, the front, forehead; a beginning. (Pet. Martyr, Decad. p.

302.) Ar. _eme_ or _uime_, the mouth of a river, _uimelian_, to be new.

Coaibai, the abode of the dead.

Cohoba, the native name of tobacco.

Conuco, a cultivated field. (Oviedo, Hist. Gen. lib. VII, cap. 2.)

Duhos or duohos, low seats (unas baxas sillas, Las Casas, Hist. Gen.

lib. I, cap[TN-7] 96. Oviedo, Hist. Gen. lib. V. cap. 1. Richardo, _sub voce_, by a careless reading of Oviedo says it means images). Ar.

_dulluhu_ or _durruhu_, a seat, a bench.

Goeiz, the spirit of the living (Pane, p. 444); probably a corruption of _Guayzas_. Ar. _akkuyaha_, the spirit of a living animal.

Gua, a very frequent prefix: Peter Martyr says, "Est apud eos articulus et pauca sunt regum praecipue nominum quae non incipiant ab hoc articulo _gua_." (Decad. p. 285.) Very many proper names in Cuba and Hayti still retain it. The modern Cubans p.r.o.nounce it like the English w with the _spiritus lenis_. It is often written _oa_, _ua_, _oua_, and _hua_. It is not an article, but corresponds to the _ah_ in the Maya, and the _gue_ in the Tupi of Brazil, from which latter it is probably derived.[22]

Guaca, a vault for storing provisions.

Guacabiua, provisions for a journey, supplies.

Guacamayo, a species of parrot, macrocercus tricolor.

Guanara, a retired stop. (Pane, p. 444); a species of dove, columba zenaida (Richardo, S. V.)[TN-8]

Guanin, an impure sort of gold.

Guaoxeri, a term applied to the lowest cla.s.s of the inhabitants (Las Casas, Hist. Apol. cap. 197.) Ar. _wakaijaru_, worthless, dirty, _wakaijatti lihi_, a worthless fellow.

Guatiao, friend, companion (Richardo). Ar. _ahati_, companion, playmate.

Guayzas, masks or figures (Las Casas, Hist. Apol. cap. 61). Ar.

_akkuyaha_, living beings.

Haba, a basket (Las Casas, Hist. Gen. lib. III, cap. 21). Ar. _habba_, a basket.

Haiti, stony, rocky, rough (Pet. Martyr, Decades). Ar. _aessi_ or _aetti_, a stone.

Hamaca, a bed, hammock. Ar. _hamaha_, a bed, hammock.

Hico, a rope, ropes (Oviedo, Hist. Gen. lib. V, cap. 2).

Hobin, gold, bra.s.s, any reddish metal. (Navarrete Viages, I, p. 134, Pet. Martyr, Dec. p. 303). Ar. _hobin_, red.

Huiho, height. (Pet. Martyr, p. 304). Ar. _aijumun_, above, high up.

Huracan, a hurricane. From this Sp. _huracan_, Fr. _ouragan_, German _Orkan_, Eng. _hurricane_. This word is given in the _Livre Sacre des Quiches_ as the name of their highest divinity, but the resemblance may be accidental. Father Ximenes, who translated the _Livre Sacre_, derives the name from the Quiche _hu rakan_, one foot. Father Thomas Coto, in his Cakchiquel Dictionary, (MS. in the library of the Am. Phil. Soc.) translates _diablo_ by _hurakan_, but as the equivalent of the Spanish _huracan_, he gives _ratinchet_.

Hyen, a poisonous liquor expressed from the ca.s.sava root. (Las Casas, Hist. Apol. cap. 2).

Itabo, a lagoon, pond. (Richardo).

Juanna, a serpent. (Pet. Martyr, p. 63). Ar. _joanna_, a lizard; _jawanaria_, a serpent.

Macana, a war club. (Navarrete, Viages.[TN-9] I, p. 135).

Magua, a plain. (Las Casas, Breviss. Relat. p. 7).

Maguey, a native drum. (Pet. Martyr, p. 280).

Maisi, maize. From this Eng. _maize_, Sp. _mais_, Ar. _marisi_, maize.

Matum, liberal, n.o.ble. (Pet. Martyr, p. 292).

Matunheri, a t.i.tle applied to the highest chiefs. (Las Casas, Hist.

Apol. cap. 197).

Mayani, of no value, ("nihili," Pet. Martyr, p. 9). Ar. _ma_, no, not.

Naborias, servants. (Las Casas, Hist. Gen. lib. III, cap. 32).

Nacan, middle, center. Ar. _annakan_, center.

Nagua, or enagua, the breech cloth made of cotton and worn around the middle. Ar. _annaka_, the middle.

Nitainos, the t.i.tle applied to the petty chiefs, (regillos guiallos, Las Casas, Hist. Apol. cap,[TN-10] 197); _tayno_ vir bonus, _taynos_ n.o.biles, says Pet. Martyr, (Decad. p. 25). The latter truncated form of the word was adopted by Rafinesque and others, as a general name for the people and language of Hayti. There is not the slightest authority for this, nor for supposing, with Von Martius, that the first syllable is a p.r.o.nominal prefix. The derivation is undoubtedly Ar. _nuddan_ to look well, to stand firm, to do anything well or skilfully.

Nucay or nozay, gold, used especially in Cuba and on the Bahamas. The words _caona_ and _tuob_ were in vogue in Haiti (Navarrete, Viages, Tom.

1, pp. 45, 134).

Operito, dead, and