Some Words and Names Borrowed From Arawakan
| Arawak | Translation |
|---|---|
| ají | chili/hot pepper |
| Anacaona | Golden Flower |
| arepa | corn cake |
| bara | whip |
| barbacoa | barbecue (barbacoa and "barbecue" are cognates). It was a four-legged stand made of sticks, used by the Taínos for roasting meat. |
| batata | sweet potato |
| bohío | small square house (typical countryside homes) |
| cacata | tarantula |
| cana | any number of palmetto trees (a type of palmetto are the palms that line the Malecón of Santo Domingo) |
| ceiba | Silkcotton tree |
| canoa | small boat, canoe (canoe is a cognate of canoa) |
| Cibao | Stoned Mountains |
| cocuyo or cucuyo | small lightning bug with a blueish light |
| cohiba | tobacco/tobacco leaves |
| guayo | grater |
| jaiba | river crab or freshwater crayfish (*This is of Spanish origin. Possibly from Basque.) |
| jicotea | turtle |
| maraca | gourd rattle, musical instrument made of higuera gourd |
| maco | toad; in sports it can also mean someone who doesn't throw a ball accurately |
| mime | little insect, typically a fruit fly |
| nana or nena | little girl |
| sabana or zabana | savanna (a cognate of sabana); a flat grassland of tropical or subtropical regions |
| tabacu or tabaco | tobacco |
| yagua | a small palm native to Hispaniola |
Read more about this topic: Dominican Spanish
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