arawak: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Academic / Historical
Quick answer
What does “arawak” mean?
A member of an Indigenous people inhabiting parts of northern South America, Central America, and historically the Caribbean.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A member of an Indigenous people inhabiting parts of northern South America, Central America, and historically the Caribbean.
The language family spoken by the Arawak peoples, or anything pertaining to these peoples or their culture.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in both varieties, though British publications may use 'Arawak' more frequently in colonial historical contexts.
Connotations
Neutral anthropological/historical term. Not considered offensive when used respectfully to refer to the people or culture.
Frequency
Very low frequency in general English; appears almost exclusively in specialized texts.
Grammar
How to Use “arawak” in a Sentence
The Arawak (noun)of Arawak descent (adjective)Arawak-speaking (adjective)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “arawak” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The museum has a collection of Arawak pottery.
American English
- She is studying Arawak linguistic patterns.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in anthropology, linguistics, history, and archaeology.
Everyday
Extremely rare, except in regions with Arawak heritage.
Technical
Specific term in ethnography and historical linguistics.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “arawak”
- Misspelling as 'Arawack' or 'Arawaque'. Using it as a plural without 's' (e.g., 'the Arawak' is correct for plural).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The Taíno were a specific Arawak-speaking group in the Caribbean. 'Arawak' refers to the wider language family and its many member groups.
Yes, various Arawakan languages are still spoken today, though some historical Arawak languages like Taíno are extinct.
It is used attributively (before a noun), e.g., 'Arawak culture', 'Arawak languages'. It is not typically used predicatively (after 'to be').
The Arawak peoples were among the first Indigenous peoples of the Americas encountered by European explorers, shaping early colonial history.
A member of an Indigenous people inhabiting parts of northern South America, Central America, and historically the Caribbean.
Arawak is usually academic / historical in register.
Arawak: in British English it is pronounced /ˈærəwæk/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈærəwɑːk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'A RAWhide sack' used by indigenous peoples.
Conceptual Metaphor
PEOPLE ARE LAND (The Arawak are closely associated with their historical territories).
Practice
Quiz
What is 'Arawak' primarily used to refer to?