Tupi
/tuːˈpiː/noun
A member of an Indigenous people of Brazil or the related language family and language group traditionally associated with them.
Did you know?The Tupi language was one of the most influential Indigenous languages in colonial Brazil, and its descendants contributed words such as jaguar, toucan, and tapioca to English.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Period
Proto-Tupian
*tupi
“A reconstructed form associated with the ethnonym, though its original meaning is uncertain.”
16th Century
Old Tupi
tupi
“An Indigenous ethnonym used among related peoples of coastal Brazil; proposed interpretations include “ancestor” or “father,” but the derivation is not certain.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Tupi
“A name applied by Portuguese colonists to Indigenous peoples and languages of Brazil.”
17th–18th Century
Portuguese
língua geral / língua tupi
“Tupi-based lingua francas used widely in colonial Brazil.”
19th Century
English
Tupi
“An adopted ethnographic and linguistic term for the people and their languages.”
Modern English
English
Tupi
“A term referring to the Tupi people, language, or broader Tupi language family.”