Taino, an Arawakan language

Taino, an Arawakan language, was the principal language of the Caribbean islands at the time of the Spanish Conquest, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Florida Keys, and the Lesser Antilles.



As the language of first contact, Taíno was one of the most important sources of Native American vocabulary in Spanish, involving hundreds of words for unfamiliar plants, animals, and cultural practices, and through Spanish to other European languages such as English. English words of Taíno derivation include: canoe, potato, cay/key, barbecue, hurricane,hammock, maize, cassava, Caribbean, cannibal, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, iguana, savannah, papaya/pawpaw, guava,yucca, maguey, manatee, mangrove, chigger, and maybe tobacco.

With the extinction of the Taino from Jamaica, their language Arawak was almost led to complete annihilation. The ups and downs in the history of Jamaica was enough to erase the Arawak language. The language belongs to the Arawakan Group of languages. Though some parts of the Caribbean still has other dialects belonging to the group, the Arawak as spoken by the Taino is absent.

Interestingly the word Jamaica has been derived from the Arawak word 'xaymaca' which means the 'land of wood and water' or the 'land of forest and water'. Arawak as a language of the Tainos may not be in vogue but it has definitely contributed to the enrichment of the English language.

Some English words and their procedence :

Barbecue -> barbakoa
Cacique -> kassequa
Canoe -> canoe
Cassava -> caçabi
Guava -> guayaba
Hammock -> hamaca
Hurricane -> hurakán
Iguana -> iwana
Maize -> mahís
Mangrove -> mangle
Potato -> batata
Savanna -> zabana
Tobacco -> tabaco

Posted by Carlos de la Puerta