Tapajós
/tapaˈʒɔs/noun
A major river in Brazil formed by the confluence of the Juruena and Teles Pires rivers, flowing into the Amazon.
Did you know?The name refers to the Tapajó, an Indigenous people encountered by Portuguese colonizers, while the river itself became a major route through the Amazon basin.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial period
Indigenous Amazonian
Tapajó
“Name of the Indigenous people associated with the lower Tapajós region; the original internal meaning is uncertain.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Tapajós
“Portuguese form used for the Tapajó people and the river identified with their territory.”
17th Century
Portuguese
Rio Tapajós
“The Tapajós River, a major tributary of the Amazon.”
18th–19th Centuries
Portuguese
Tapajós
“Established geographic name in colonial maps and Brazilian descriptions of the Amazon.”
Modern English
English
Tapajós
“The Brazilian river and, by extension, the surrounding Tapajós region.”
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