Yguazú
/ɨɰʷaˈsu/noun
A Guarani-derived proper name associated with the Iguazú River and Iguazú Falls in South America.
Did you know?Yguazú is a Guarani form related to the better-known Spanish Iguazú and Portuguese Iguaçu, whose spelling reflects different colonial languages rather than different origins.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Period
Guarani
y
“Water or river”
Pre-Colonial Period
Guarani
guasu
“Large or great”
Pre-Colonial Period
Guarani
y guasu
“Big water”
16th–17th Century
Spanish
Yguazú
“A transcribed Guarani place-name for the river and falls”
Modern English
English
Yguazú
“A proper name referring to the Iguazú region, river, or waterfalls”