Jaguareté
/ˌjɑːɡwɑːɾeˈteɪ/noun
A Guarani name for the jaguar, especially used in Paraguay and neighboring regions.
Did you know?In Guarani, the suffix eté means “true” or “genuine,” so jaguareté identifies the jaguar as the authentic or archetypal jaguar among related animals.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Proto-Tupian
*jawar / *jaguara
“A reconstructed Tupian term associated with a dangerous wild animal or predator.”
Before the 16th century
Old Tupi
îaguara
“A jaguar or other fierce wild animal; the source of later forms in Portuguese and Spanish.”
16th–17th Century
Guarani
yaguá
“Jaguar or large predatory animal.”
Guarani
Guarani
jaguarete
““True jaguar,” formed from jaguá or yaguá, “jaguar,” plus eté, “true” or “genuine.””
Modern period
Spanish/Portuguese
yaguareté / jaguareté
“A regional name for the jaguar, especially in the Río de la Plata region.”
Modern English
English
jaguareté
“A borrowed regional name for the jaguar.”
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