Juruena
/ʒuɾuˈenɐ/noun
A river in central-western Brazil and the name of a municipality in Mato Grosso.
Did you know?Juruena is part of the Tapajós river system, and its name preserves Indigenous influence in Brazil’s modern geographic vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Period
Indigenous Brazilian languages
Juruena
“An Indigenous hydronym whose precise original meaning is not securely established in standard etymological sources.”
16th–18th Centuries
Portuguese
Juruena
“A name adopted into Portuguese geographical usage for the river and surrounding region.”
19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
Rio Juruena
“The Juruena River, increasingly represented on Brazilian maps and geographic records.”
20th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
Juruena
“A recognized river name in Mato Grosso and part of the Tapajós basin.”
Modern English
English
Juruena
“A proper name used chiefly in references to the Brazilian river and municipality.”