List of Mapudungun placenames
The following is a listing of placenames from the Mapudungun language, generally from Chile and southwestern Argentina.
Note: this list includes only currently used placenames that have a Mapudungun etymology for at least part of their name
A[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abtao | end/limit of the territory | Los Lagos | channel, island | contested (pro[1] con[2][3]) |
| Achao | sandy and protected harbour | Los Lagos | beach, channel, city/town | |
| Aconcagua | place of heathers | Mendoza, Valparaíso | mountain, river | |
| Allipén | Araucanía, Bío-Bío | river | ||
| Ancud | to dry | Los Lagos | city/town, gulf | |
| sun stone | Los Lagos | river, village | ||
| sunny place[4] | Los Lagos | hamlet | ||
| Antillanca | sun/light green quartz[4] | Los Lagos | volcano | |
| sun/light mountain[4] | Los Lagos | village | ||
| Antuco | sun and water | Bío-Bío | volcano |
B[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchupureo | Big Wave | Limit between VII & VIII Regions, Chile | ||
| Bariloche | from Furiloche: people from the other side of the mountain | Los Lagos, Río Negro | city/town, mountain pass | |
| Bío-Bío | Araucanía, Bío-Bío | river | ||
| Boldo | from folo, a shrub (Peumus boldus) | La Araucanía | ||
| Bucalemu | big forest | Valparaíso | ||
| big stone | Los Lagos | hamlet |
C[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caburgua | dug with a spoon | Araucanía | lake, waterfall | |
| Calafquén | lake like a sea | Araucanía, Los Ríos | lake | |
| Calbuco | blue waters[4] | Los Lagos | channel, city/town, peninsula, volcano | |
| Neuquén | river | |||
| Callaqui | Bío-Bío | volcano | ||
| Calle-Calle | lot of Iridaceaes | Los Ríos | river | once called Guadalfquén |
| Carahue | the city that was | Araucanía | city/town | |
| Carelmapu | green territory[4] | Los Lagos | headland | |
| Carirriñe | green chusquea coleou cane | Los Ríos, Neuquén | mountain pass, river | |
| Carrenleufú | Chubut | city/town | ||
| Catirai | callyíi, to cut, and raigheii, the flower of the trees, meaning short flowers[5] | Bío-Bío | valley | |
| Cau-Cau | kawkaw 'seagull' | Los Ríos | river | |
| [6] | Atacama | valley | ||
| Chacao | protected harbour | Los Lagos | bay, channel, village | |
| Chapelco | chapel (a local bush) water | Neuquén | mountain, river | |
| Chiguayante | "chiguay" fog "antu" sun | Bío-Bío | city | - |
| Chillán | Bío-Bío | city | ||
| Chiloé | chille 'small seagull' and -we 'place' | Los Lagos | archipelago, island | |
| Chimbarongo | crooked head or place between fogs | O'Higgins | city/town | |
| Choshuenco | yellow water | Los Ríos | city/town, volcano | |
| Cochamó | confluence/estuary[4] | Los Lagos | bay, river, village | |
| Conguillío | water with Araucaria araucana pine nuts | Araucanía | lake | |
| Copahue | Bío-Bío | volcano | ||
| Colhué Huapi | red island | Chubut | lake | |
| Concón | place of owls | Valparaíso | city/town | |
| Coñaripe | way of the warrior | Los Ríos | city/town | |
| [4] | Los Lagos | bay, lake, river | ||
| Curarrehue | Araucanía | city/town | ||
| Curicó | kurü 'black' and ko 'water' | Maule | city/town | |
| Curiñanco | kurü 'black' and ñamko 'red-backed hawk' | Los Ríos | beach, village |
D[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalcahue | place of canoes | Los Lagos | city/town | |
| mussel water | Los Lagos | river |
F[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| big lake | Chubut | lake | ||
| Futaleufú | big river | Chubut, Los Lagos | river | |
| Futrono | from Futronhue: place of smoke | Los Ríos | town/city |
G[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guafo | from Wafün: tusk | Los Lagos | island |
H[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornopirén | snow oven | Los Lagos | village, volcano | once called Quechucaví; five districts |
| Huahum | Los Ríos, Neuquén | mountain pass, river | ||
| Huapi | island | Los Ríos | island | |
| Huechuraba | clay birthplace | Santiago | commune/city | |
| Huerquehue | place of messengers | Araucanía | mountains | |
| Huilo-Huilo | Los Ríos | waterfall |
L[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lácar | place of landslides | Neuquén | lake | |
| Lebu | river | Bío-Bío | city | |
| Licán Ray | rock flower | Araucanía | city/town | |
| Limay | clear/clean | Neuquén, Río Negro | river | |
| Liquiñe | Los Ríos | town, river, hot springs | ||
| Llaima | blood veins | Araucanía | volcano | |
| Llanquihue | hidden place | Los Lagos, Los Ríos | city/town, lake, river | |
| Lolol | land of crabs and holes | O'Higgins | commune/town | |
| Loncoche | head of an important person | Araucanía | city/town | |
| Loncomilla | gold of the lonco | Maule | river | |
| Lonquimay | summit | Araucanía | city/town, volcano |
M[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Máfil | hugged between rivers | Los Ríos | town | |
| Maihue | wooden glass | Los Ríos | lake | |
| Maipo | Mendoza, Santiago | river, valley, volcano | ||
| Araucanía | hot springs | |||
| Mamuil Malal | corral of wooden sticks | Araucanía, Neuquén | mountain pass, village | |
| Mapocho | river of the Mapuche | Santiago | river | |
| Melipeuco | Araucanía | city/town | ||
| four hills | Los Lagos | city/town | ||
| Mulchén | people of the west | Bío-Bío | city/town, river |
N[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nahuelbuta | big puma | Araucanía, Bío-Bío | mountain range | |
| Nahuelhuapi | island of the puma | Neuquén, Río Negro | lake | |
| house of the puma | Buenos Aires | city/town | ||
| Neuquén | sweep away | Neuquén, Río Negro | city/town, river |
P[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panguipulli | hill of the puma | Los Ríos | city/town, lake | |
| Pellaifa | Los Ríos | lake | ||
| Peñalolén | fraternal meeting place | Santiago | city/town | |
| Pichilemu | little forest | O'Higgins | city/town | |
| Pillanleufú | river of the devil/spirit | Los Ríos | river | |
| Pilolcura | hollow stone | Los Ríos | beach, bay | |
| Pirihueico | snowy curvy water | Los Ríos | lake | |
| Pucón | entrance | Araucanía | city/town | |
| island of the pudu[4] | Los Lagos | island | ||
| Puelo | east[4] | Chubut, Los Lagos | lake, river | |
| Pullinque | Los Ríos | lake, river | ||
| Puyehue | place of sweet water fishes | Los Lagos, Los Ríos, Neuquén | lake, mountain pass, volcano | |
| Punucapa | black/fertile earth for legumes | Los Ríos | village |
Q[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quellón | from Queldon; Aristotelia chilensis | Los Lagos | city/town | |
| Quemchi | red/pottery earth | Los Lagos | city/town | |
| Quetrupillán | sleeping pillán | Araucanía, Los R��os | volcano | |
| Quiapo | originally Cuyapu or Cuyamapu, meaning cuya, weasel and mapu land [7] | Bio-Bio | hill/river | |
| Quilicura | three stones | Santiago | commune/city |
R[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahue | place of gray clay[4] | Los Lagos, Neuquén | city/town, river, village | |
| Rancagua | place of canes | O'Higgins | city/town | |
| Ranco | Los Ríos | city/town, lake | ||
| Reloncaví | valley district | Los Lagos | estuary, sound | |
| Riñihue | place of Chusquea coleou | Los Ríos | city/town, lake | |
| Rupanco | shaked waters | Los Lagos | lake |
T[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talca | thunder | Maule | city/town | |
| Talcahuano | from tralcam wenu; thundering sky | Bío-Bío | city | |
| Temuco | from "Temu" (Blepharocalyx cruckshanksii)and "Co" water | Araucanía | city/town | |
| Tinguiririca | round/shining quartz | O'Higgins | city/town, river, volcano | |
| Tolhuaca | Araucanía | volcano | ||
| Traful | Neuquén | lake | ||
| Tralcan | thunder | Los Ríos | mountain | |
| Neuquén | lake, volcano | |||
| Tucapel | take by force | Bío-Bío | town |
V[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitacura | big stone | Santiago | city/town |
Y[]
| Placename | Meaning | Region (Chile) or Province (Argentina) |
Type | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yelcho | carry foam | Los Lagos | lake, river |
See also[]
- Araucanization
- Mapuche
- Huilliche
- Picunche
- List of Muisca toponyms
References[]
- ^ Ramirez Sanchez, Carlos. 1988. Toponimia indígena de las provincias de Osorno, Llanquihue y Chiloé. Valdivia, Chile: Universidad Austral de Chile, Dirección de Investigación.
- ^ Ibar Bruce, Jorge (1960). "Ensayo sobre los indios chonos e interpretación de sus tiponimias". Anales de la Universidad de Chile (117).
- ^ Latorre, Guillermo (1998). "Sustrato y superestrato multilingües en la toponimia del extremo sur de Chile". Estudios Filológicos (in Spanish). 33: 55–67.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Nombres de lugar indigena de Osorno, Llanquihue y Chiloé Archived 2006-07-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos, Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile (Geographic dictionary of the Republic of Chile), SEGUNDA EDICIÓN CORREGIDA Y AUMENTADA, NUEVA YORK, D. APPLETON Y COMPAÑÍA, 1899. pg. 135
- ^ Algunos topónimos indígenas de la zona de Copiapó Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos, Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile, p. 613-14
Sources[]
- Guiaverde - diccionarios (Spanish)
- Mapudungun.cl
- Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos, Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile (Geographic dictionary of the Republic of Chile), SEGUNDA EDICIÓN CORREGIDA Y AUMENTADA, NUEVA YORK, D. APPLETON Y COMPAÑÍA, 1899.
- DICCIONARIO MAPUCHE
- Diccionarios Ser Indigena, Lenguas Originarias de Chile
Categories:
- Lists of place names
- Mapuche language
- Argentina geography-related lists
- Chile geography-related lists
- Names of places in the Americas