Ouacapou
/ˈwɑː.kə.puː/noun
A tropical South American hardwood tree, especially Vouacapoua americana, native to the Guianas and northern Brazil.
Did you know?The name survives in the scientific genus Vouacapoua, showing how Indigenous plant names were often carried into modern taxonomy through French colonial records.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-17th Century
Indigenous Guianas
ouacapou
“An Indigenous vernacular name for a South American hardwood tree; the precise source language is uncertain.”
17th–18th Century
French
ouacapou
“A French colonial-era name for the tree found in Guiana and neighboring regions.”
1775
Botanical Latin
Vouacapoua
“The genus name formed from the vernacular tree name.”
19th Century
English
ouacapou
“An English botanical and forestry term for the tropical tree or its timber.”
Modern English
English
ouacapou
“A South American hardwood tree, also known by the variant wacapou.”
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