Where does “Cuba” come from?
Cuba comes from Spanish Cuba, derived from Taíno cubao, of unknown ultimate meaning.
Ancestry of “Cuba”, step by step
Cuba traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Portuguese cuba
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | cuba | cask; industrial vat |
| 2 | Old Portuguese | cuba | — |
| 3 | Latin | cupa | tub, cask, tun, vat; handle, axle |
| 4 | Greek | κούπα | mug, large cup; trophy cup; hearts |
| 5 | Byzantine Greek | κοῦπα | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κοῦπα | barrel |
| 7 | Late Latin | cuppa | drinking vessel; barrel, cask; axle |
| 8 | Latin | cūpa | tub, cask, tun, vat |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | κώπη | a handle |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kóh₂p-eh₂ | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |