Guasu
/ɡwɑːˈsuː/noun
A Guarani word meaning “large” or “great,” also used in English zoological names for large South American deer.
Did you know?Guasu appears in names such as *Iguazú*, commonly interpreted from Guarani elements meaning “great water,” linking the word to one of the world’s most famous waterfalls.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Era
Guarani
guasu
“Large, great, or important”
16th Century
Colonial Guarani
guasu
“The same adjective, recorded by European missionaries documenting Guarani”
17th–18th Century
Guarani–Spanish
guazú
“Large; used in Hispanic transcriptions of Guarani names”
19th Century
Spanish/Portuguese
guazú / guassu
“A Guarani-derived element in names for large South American animals and geographical features”
Modern English
English
guasu
“A scholarly or zoological transliteration of the Guarani word, meaning “large” or “great””