Tupian
/ˈtuː.pi.ən/noun
Relating to the Tupi language family of Indigenous South America or its speakers.
Did you know?The name Tupi entered European languages through Portuguese, while the Tupi language family includes languages historically spoken across large areas of Brazil and neighboring regions.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-colonial period
Tupi
tupi
“A term associated with the Tupi peoples; commonly glossed in historical sources as “chief” or “superior,” though interpretations vary.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Tupi
“The name used by Portuguese colonists and missionaries for Indigenous peoples and languages of coastal Brazil.”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
língua tupi
““Tupi language,” used in missionary and colonial descriptions of the language.”
19th Century
English
Tupi
“An ethnolinguistic name adopted in English-language scholarship.”
Modern English
English
Tupian
“An adjective or noun referring to the Tupi language family, its languages, or their speakers.”
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