Know the origin of the names of 11 Latin American countries (some stories are really very strange)

Have you ever stopped to think about how people’s names are chosen? Well, we know that this is a relatively complex process, involving personal tastes of parents (or other relatives), family histories and other factors. Some even say that this choice can influence the person’s personality. But how are the names of cities, states and countries chosen? And to what extent can this choice interfere with the fate of these regions?

In this post, the awesome.club shares with its readers a list with the meanings of the names of 11 Latin American countries. It is quite possible that you know the origin of the name “Brazil”. But do you know why Argentina has that name? And Peru? Follow our post.

Chile is known, among other things, for “El Monstruo” — an expression that refers to the audience at the Viña Del Mar music festival, one of the most popular in the country. It is also known as the land of poetry, as two of its most famous poets have already received the Novel Prize for Literature: Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. And, in a way, the word that names this country also has a poetic meaning: the term “Chile” can be linked to the word of Aymara origin (a pre-Columbian people who lived in the region), chilli, which means “where the earth ends”. Another possibility is that it derived from the word of Quechua origin (an indigenous language) chili or tchilwhich means “cold” or “snow”.

The term “Argentina” has to do with the word argentum, which in Latin means “silver”. Legend has it that, shortly after the first expedition to the Rio de la Plata (which bathes the city of Buenos Aires), commanded by Juan Díaz de Solís, news that the region was rich in silver mines circulated among European explorers, who decided to organize expeditions in search of these riches.

This one you may already know. Although there are some divergent versions regarding the origin of our country’s name, the one that is by far the most accepted refers to pau-brasil, an abundant tree on our coast at the time of discovery. The term “brasil” (in lower case) of the tree would be a reference to the reddish color of the wood, which could be compared to a “ember”. In 1978, pau-brasil was declared the national tree of Brazil. A sad curiosity is that this tree is currently on the list of Brazilian flora species threatened with extinction, according to IBAMA.

If you thought of the famous bird, you are wrong. In fact, in the case of Peru🇧🇷 there is no consensus on the origin of the name. It is known that the region has been so called since before the arrival of the Spaniards. But there is a kind of controversy over whether the term derives from the word biru or Peruwhose meaning is “river” in Guarani (indigenous language), or biru, term written in the same way, but which, in this case, referring to a cacique who would have lived in the southern part of Panama. There is also the possibility of having an origin in another indigenous language, quechuain this case being originally viru.

In the case of Cuba, there are also several versions and no consensus. The word may derive from the term ciba, used by the indigenous people who inhabited the island at that time (the Taínos) to designate “mountain”, “stone”, “cave”. Another possibility, still in the Taino language, is that the word comes from the term cohibaas they called the region — and which today gives its name to the most famous cigar produced in the country.

Some historians maintain that it derives from coba, which means “dome”, in Arabic, and that it could refer to the shape of the mountains that are seen from the Bay of Bariay, where Christopher Columbus made his first landing on the island. However, according to the Oxford Dictionary, the word that gave rise to the name would be Cubanacanalso of origin taina and which means “place of the center”.

In the case of Ecuador, there is no divergence in relation to the origin of the name and the explanation is more than simple: the equator line, which divides the northern and southern hemispheres, passes over the country and has been used to designate it since it occurred. its separation from “Gran Colombia”, on May 13, 1830.

The word “Dominican” derives from the Latin Dominicus, which means Sunday. But the origin of the name of this country is a little more complex and has to do with the Order of Preachers, founded by São Domingos de Gusmão in 1216. This religious Order played an important role in the country’s society, contributing to the defense of the rights of indigenous peoples and promote education and culture among them.

Other theories argue that Christopher Columbus landed there on a Sunday and that’s why he gave it that name. There is also a third theory: that the father of the Columbus brothers was called Domingo. However, there is no documentation to support these two alternative versions.

The most widespread version indicates that Venezuela was named after the city of Venice. According to this theory, when Alonso de Ojeda arrived along with Américo Vespucio to the Gulf of Venezuela, he saw the dwellings of the natives, built on stilts that emerged from the water, reminiscent of the famous Italian city. Therefore, Venezuela would mean “little Venice”. There is, however, a second version, according to which the word would have indigenous origin, being prior to the arrival of the Spaniards and meaning “big water”.

A very intuitive case: the term “Colombia” refers to Christopher Columbus, and that is how Francisco de Miranda designated the entire Spanish-American continent. Before referring to the country as we know it today, the designation referred to the so-called Gran Colombia, a territory created in 1819 and which included, in addition to what is now Colombia itself, areas of Panama, Ecuador and part of Venezuela.

A poetic version gives the name “Mexico” the meaning of “in the navel of the moon”, but it is not the correct one. The word Mexico is a Castilianization (and simplification) of the term metallic, which meant, in the language of the Aztecs: “in the center of the Moon”. However, this version does not close the etymological discussion, as there are other interpretations.

Even though it may seem obvious, not everyone knows that the name “Bolivia” is a tribute to Simón Bolívar, a well-known political leader in the region. Shortly after independence, on August 6, 1825, the country was “baptized” as the “República de Bolivar”. However, months later, a deputy from the Potosí region suggested changing the name with the following argument: “if from Rômulo, Roma, from Bolívar, Bolivia”. This has been the official name of the country since October 3, 1825.

If you had to rename any nation, what would it be and why? And, if you’re still curious to discover the origin of other Latin American country names, don’t worry: we’re preparing new posts! Now, we look forward to your comments!