Arauco
/aˈɾauko/noun
A region, province, and commune in south-central Chile, also associated with the Indigenous Mapuche people and the colonial Arauco War.
Did you know?The famous monkey-puzzle tree, araucaria, was named after the Arauco region and its Indigenous inhabitants, linking a botanical name to this contested place-name.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Period
Mapudungun
ragko
“A traditional form commonly interpreted as “clayey water” or water resembling clay.”
16th Century
Spanish
Arauco
“Spanish rendering of the Indigenous place-name for the Arauco region of Chile.”
1550s–1600s
Colonial Spanish
Guerra de Arauco
“The Arauco War, a prolonged conflict between Spanish forces and Mapuche polities.”
18th Century
Scientific Latin
Araucaria
“A botanical genus named from Arauco and associated with the region’s Indigenous people.”
Modern English
English
Arauco
“A proper name for the Chilean region, commune, province, and related historical or cultural references.”
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