Arawak

/ˈɑːrəwɑːk/ noun

Definition

An indigenous people of northern South America and the Caribbean islands, or their language, also spelled Taíno or Lucayan in different regions.

Etymology

From the Arawakan language family's self-designation, documented in colonial sources. Some scholars debate whether 'Arawak' refers to the entire language family or specific groups. The term became standard in English anthropological literature.

Kelly Says

Arawak people maintained sophisticated trade networks across the Caribbean Sea centuries before Columbus, trading goods and knowledge across thousands of miles of ocean—they were expert navigators with deep astronomical knowledge.

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