Tapajó
/tapaˈʒɔ/noun
Tapajó is the name of an Indigenous people of the lower Tapajós region and, in Portuguese, is associated with the Tapajós River and surrounding area in Brazil.
Did you know?The Tapajó were a powerful pre-colonial society in the lower Amazon, known archaeologically for distinctive ceramic traditions and large settlements around Santarém.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial period
Old Tupi
tapajó
“An Indigenous ethnonym associated with the people living in the lower Tapajós region; the internal meaning is uncertain.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Tapajó
“Name recorded by Portuguese chroniclers for an Indigenous people encountered near the river now called the Tapajós.”
17th Century
Portuguese
Tapajós
“Portuguese plural or geographic form referring to the Tapajó people and their river region.”
18th–19th Century
Brazilian Portuguese
Tapajós
“Established as the name of the major Amazonian river and surrounding geographic region.”
Modern English
English
Tapajó
“A proper name referring primarily to the Indigenous people; Tapajós is the usual form for the river and region.”