Indigenous South American Loanwords in English

Spanish and Portuguese explorers encountered lots of new things in South America. The Portuguese borrowed many words from the Tupí language in Brazil, while the Spanish took over several words from Quechua, which is still widely spoken in the Andes. Not included are some words which are very closely associated with South America, see the comments for a list of these.

Thumbnail: a quipu, source.

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Last updated: June 6, 2025

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First submitted	June 6, 2025
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Tupí

A berry marketed as a superfood. Can be served mashed in a bowl.

açai

A pirate or privateer in the Caribbean. From a Tupí word meaning 'grill', the French used it to refer to those selling dried meat to pirates and later to the pirates themselves.

buccaneer

A nut with a crescent or bean shape, the third most produced nut in the world.

cashew

A type of chili pepper. The same as the capital of French Guiana but probably etymologically unrelated.

cayenne

Another name for the mountain lion. Or a woman 'preying on' younger men.

cougar

A large cat similar to the leopard.

jaguar

Hollowed gourd filled with pebbles, used, in pairs, as a percussion instrument in Latin music.

maraca

A popular flower with five petals. Also a girl's name, e.g. Harry Potter's aunt.

petunia

A freshwater fish with sharp teeth. In popular culture, they are extremely dangerous, devouring in an instant anything falling into the water.

piranha

Starch from the cassava. The 'bubbles' in bubble tea are made from this.

tapioca

A tropical bird with a very large, colorful bill.

toucan

Quechua

The Incas chewed the leaves of this plant for ritual and medicinal purposes. Nowadays its active ingredient is extracted and sold as an illegal drug.

coca

Two species of vulture, one Andean and one Californian. They are the largest birds of prey in the world.

condor

Bird excrement accumulated on uninhabited islands and used as fertilizer before the invention of artificial fertilizers. Also, bat excrement accumulated on the floor in caves.

guano

Dried meat.

jerky

A sleeveless garment, possibly waterproof.

poncho

Another name for the mountain lion. Or a German shoe brand.

puma

The main ingredient of tonic water, historically a medicine for malaria.

quinine

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