Etymology

cannibal

C3A1N1N1I1B3A1L1

Today it means: An organism which eats others of its own species or kind, especially a human who consumes human flesh. Full definition →

Spanish caníba ← Proto-Cariban *karipona
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The story

  1. Proto-Cariban*karipona
  2. Spanishcaribe
  3. Spanishcaríbal
  4. Spanishcaníba
  5. English todaycannibal

Borrowed from Spanish caníbal, from Taíno caniba, the Taíno form recorded by Christopher Columbus for the Caribs, who were greatly feared. From an Arawak language, probably Taíno, and ultimately from Proto-Cariban *karipona (“person”). Doublet of Carib, caribe, Garifuna, Carijona, Kari'na, and Caribbean.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Cariban*karipona all →

caribGarifunaCarijonaKari'na

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.