Imprints on Native Lands: The Miskito-Moravian Settlement Landscape in Honduras

Appendix D: Settlement Names

Settlement Names Settlement Name Meaning, Translation Ahuas pine tree Ahuas Luhpia small pine tree Ahuaspahni pine tree that belongs to someone who passed away Ahuastingni pine tree creek Alexandra or personal name or coconut grove Cocal Arenas Blancas white sand Auka cortez tree Aurata point on the shore to where debris in the water float Awasbila place of many pine trees Baikan broken Banaka a tree; also, a town on Guanaja Island of the Bay Islands Barra Patuca bar of the Patuka (Butuk) River; Butuk was believed to be a Paya leader Belén Bethlehem Benk a temporary shelter on a riverbank; derived from English “bank”—a mahogany logger’s camp on a riverbank Betania Bethany Bilalmuk old bell Brus Lagoon Bloody Brewer’s Lagoon (Helbig 1965) Cayo Sirpi small sugarcane, or little island Chiquerito very small Coco coconut Cocobila place of many coconut trees Corinto Corinth Appendix D Settlement Name Meaning, Translation Dakratara large round hill Dapat — Dump the stub that remains after a finger is cut off; also, possibly the place where the garbage from a nearby refugee camp was burned El Limonal the lemon grove Halaver narrow portion of land where canoes are “hauled over” from one body of water to another Ibans sapodilla tree Ibatiwan where Eve got lost Irlaya water where a type of small fish lives Kalpu — Kanko trunk of the saw cabbage palm Karaswatla lizard house Kasautara large cashew tree Katski — Katski Almuk old Katski Kaurkira place possessing bamboo Kiaskira — Kinankan “name of a Kaurikira hamlet which was burned . . . by the king to punish the insubordination of its chief man” (Heath 1947, 135) Klauhban part of the lagoon’s shore that is now open Klubki — Klubkimuna Klubki inland Kohunta type of plant Kokota coconut tree point Kokota Almuk old coconut tree point Kokotingni coconut tree creek Krata — Kropunta crayfish point Kruta palm fruit point Kurhpa type of palm Kuri sapote, mamey Kwihra pregnant Laka Tabila guapinol tree point 160 APPENDIX D Settlement Name Meaning, Translation Lakunka lagoon of . . . (name does not specify of what or whom) Landín boat landing Las Marias the old Marias (the Marys) Vieja Leimus lemon Limitara large tiger Liwa spirits of the water Lur fishing lure? Mabita personal name Mangotara large mango tree Mistruk “Species of tree bearing white fragrant flowers. Its gum is very Poisonous” (Heath 1947, 244) Mocorón name of a river Nueva Guinea New Guinea Nueva Jerusalén New Jerusalem Pakwi — Palkaka — Paptalaya saw cabbage palm creek Parada stopping place Payabila place where the Paya live Pimienta pepper Piñales pineapple plantations Pranza — Priaka widow or widower Prumnitara big hill Puerto Lempira Port of Lempira—named after a sixteenth-century Lenca cacique who resisted Spanish conquistadors and is now a national hero Pusuaia species of mosquito Raista rice point––place where rice is planted Rancho hidden ranch Escondido Ratlaya rotten or putrid water Raya new, or curve in a river Rayamuna Raya inland APPENDIX D 161 Settlement Name Meaning, Translation Río Plátano plantain river Rumdin drunk rum Rupalia personal name Rus Rus name of adjacent river Saubila possessing cedar trees Saulala — Saupauni red cedar Siakwalaya small freshwater turtle Sikia Ahuia avocado beach Sirsirtara large carbon tree used for firewood Sisinaylanhkan place where the spirit of the ceiba (silk cotton) tree strangled itself Srumlaya water possessing the srum tree Sudin — Suhi flat sharpening stone Tailibila place possessing taili trees Tailiyari long taili tree Tapamlaya water possessing tarpon Tasbapauni red earth Tasbaraya new land Tawanta point of town Tikiuraya bend in the river where the tikiu tree grows Tipi Lalma east Tipi Tipimunatara large west Tipi Titi — Tuburus ear tree (guanacaste) Tukrung gualiqueme tree (Inga sp.) Tumtumtara large water lily Turhalaya water full of crocodiles Tusidaksa — Twimawala on the other side of the weeds Twitanta flat savanna Uhi type of tree 162 APPENDIX D Settlement Name Meaning, Translation Uhnuya — Uhsan type of fish Uhsibila place where the uhsi plant grows Uhumbila place where the oil palm grows Uhunuya — Umro type of tree Usupun Pura oak hill Utla Almuk old house Waha Bisban shredded leaf Waksma type of bird Walpa Kiakira spiny or thorny rock Walpata pebble beach point Wampusirpi little Wampu (the river upstream) Wangkiawala our river; also, Coco River Miskito are known as “Wangkis” Wapniyari along straight stretch in a river Warbantara large whirlpool Warunta White-collared peccary...