Jamaica
/dʒəˈmeɪkə/noun
An island country in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba and west of Hispaniola.
Did you know?The island’s Indigenous Taíno name was recorded by Columbus’s expedition as Xaymaca, though scholars caution that its precise meaning cannot be established with certainty.
Etymological Timeline
Before 1494
Taíno
Xaymaca
“Indigenous name for the island; traditionally interpreted as “land of wood and water,” though the analysis is uncertain.”
1494
Spanish
Iamaica / Jamaica
“Spanish forms recording the Taíno place-name after Christopher Columbus’s arrival.”
16th Century
Spanish
Jamaica
“The established Spanish name for the Caribbean island.”
1655
English
Jamaica
“English usage expanded after England seized the island from Spain.”
Modern English
English
Jamaica
“The sovereign Caribbean nation and the island on which it is located.”