Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Caribbean” come from?

Caribbean derives from English Carib, which comes from Arawak kalingo, a word of unknown original meaning.

Caribbean (English): Pertaining to the sea and region of the western...

Definitions

  1. Pertaining to the sea and region of the western...

Ancestry of “Caribbean”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCaribA member of an Amerindian people who inhabit the...
2SpanishCaribeCaribbean

Words derived from “Caribbean”

  • Afro-Caribbean
Every word from Spanish Caribe →