Pikunmapu
/piˈkun ˈmapu/noun
A Mapuche term meaning the northern land or northern region, one of the directional regions in Mapuche geography and cosmology.
Did you know?Pikunmapu belongs to a Mapuche system of directional regions in which geography is understood through cultural and spiritual relationships, not merely compass points.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Mapudungun
pikun mapu
“A compound of pikun, “north,” and mapu, “land” or “territory.””
16th Century
Mapudungun
pikun mapu
“A Mapuche geographical expression recorded or interpreted by early Spanish observers as “northern land.””
19th Century
Spanish / Mapudungun
Pikunmapu
“A regional and ethnographic term appearing in discussions of Mapuche territory and cosmology.”
20th Century
Mapudungun
Pikunmapu
“A standardized or space-free spelling used in some modern writing about Mapuche cultural geography.”
Modern English
English
Pikunmapu
“A proper-name form used in English-language scholarship and cultural writing for the northern Mapuche region or direction.”
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