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Taíno Words We Still Use Today

Everyday words like barbecue, hammock, hurricane, canoe, and cassava carry Caribbean Indigenous language traces through Taíno/Arawak roots and Spanish-to-English transmission.

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  • Smithsonian/NMAI explains that some words used today came from Arawak-language transmission through Spanish into English.
  • Dictionary and public-history sources support barbacoa/barbecue, hamaca/hammock, huracan/hurricane, canoa/canoe, and casabe/cassava as Taíno/Arawak-language traces.
  • The episode frames everyday vocabulary as survival and transmission, not as a claim that Puerto Rico invented every listed word.
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Sources

Smithsonian / NMAI Taíno gallery guideSmithsonian NMAI Magazine: Abuelas, Ancestors and AtabeyAmerican Heritage Dictionary: barbecueMerriam-Webster: hammockMerriam-Webster: cassavaNational Park Service: Taino VillageLocal source packet: Taíno Words We Still Use TodayYouTube Short
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