Duhos or duohos, low seats (unas baxas sillas, Las Casas, Hist. Gen.
lib. I, cap[TN-7] 96. Oviedo, Hist. Gen. lib. V. cap. 1. Richardo, _sub
voce_, by a careless reading of Oviedo says it means images). Ar.
_dulluhu_ or _durruhu_, a seat, a bench.
Goeiz, the spirit of the living (Pane, p. 444); probably a corruption of
_Guayzas_. Ar. _akkuyaha_, the spirit of a living animal.
Gua, a very frequent prefix: Peter Martyr says, "Est apud eos articulus
et pauca sunt regum praecipue nominum quae non incipiant ab hoc articulo
_gua_." (Decad. p. 285.) Very many proper names in Cuba and Hayti still
retain it. The modern Cubans pronounce it like the English w with the
_spiritus lenis_. It is often written _oa_, _ua_, _oua_, and _hua_. It
is not an article, but corresponds to the _ah_ in the Maya, and the
_gue_ in the Tupi of Brazil, from which latter it is probably
derived.[22]
Guaca, a vault for storing provisions.
Guacabiua, provisions for a journey, supplies.
Guacamayo, a species of parrot, macrocercus tricolor.
Guanara, a retired stop. (Pane, p. 444); a species of dove, columba
zenaida (Richardo, S. V.)[TN-8]
Guanin, an impure sort of gold.
Guaoxeri, a term applied to the lowest class of the inhabitants (Las
Casas, Hist. Apol. cap. 197.) Ar. _wakaijaru_, worthless, dirty,
_wakaijatti lihi_, a worthless fellow.
Guatiao, friend, companion (Richardo). Ar. _ahati_, companion, playmate.
Guayzas, masks or figures (Las Casas, Hist. Apol. cap. 61). Ar.
_akkuyaha_, living beings.
Haba, a basket (Las Casas, Hist. Gen. lib. III, cap. 21). Ar. _habba_, a
basket.
Haiti, stony, rocky, rough (Pet. Martyr, Decades). Ar. _aessi_ or
_aetti_, a stone.
Hamaca, a bed, hammock. Ar. _hamaha_, a bed, hammock.
Hico, a rope, ropes (Oviedo, Hist. Gen. lib. V, cap. 2).
Hobin, gold, brass, any reddish metal. (Navarrete Viages, I, p. 134,
Pet. Martyr, Dec. p. 303). Ar. _hobin_, red.
Huiho, height. (Pet. Martyr, p. 304). Ar. _aijumün_, above, high up.
Huracan, a hurricane. From this Sp. _huracan_, Fr. _ouragan_, German
_Orkan_, Eng. _hurricane_. This word is given in the _Livre Sacré des
Quichès_ as the name of their highest divinity, but the resemblance may
be accidental. Father Ximenes, who translated the _Livre Sacrè_, derives
the name from the Quiché _hu rakan_, one foot. Father Thomas Coto, in
his Cakchiquel Dictionary, (MS. in the library of the Am. Phil. Soc.)
translates _diablo_ by _hurakan_, but as the equivalent of the Spanish
_huracan_, he gives _ratinchet_.
Hyen, a poisonous liquor expressed from the cassava root. (Las Casas,
Hist. Apol. cap. 2).
Itabo, a lagoon, pond. (Richardo).
Juanna, a serpent. (Pet. Martyr, p. 63). Ar. _joanna_, a lizard;
_jawanaria_, a serpent.
Macana, a war club. (Navarrete, Viages.[TN-9] I, p. 135).
Magua, a plain. (Las Casas, Breviss. Relat. p. 7).
Maguey, a native drum. (Pet. Martyr, p. 280).
Maisi, maize. From this Eng. _maize_, Sp. _mais_, Ar. _marisi_, maize.
Matum, liberal, noble. (Pet. Martyr, p. 292).
Matunheri, a title applied to the highest chiefs. (Las Casas, Hist.
Apol. cap. 197).
Mayani, of no value, ("nihili," Pet. Martyr, p. 9). Ar. _ma_, no, not.
Naborias, servants. (Las Casas, Hist. Gen. lib. III, cap. 32).
Nacan, middle, center. Ar. _annakan_, center.
Nagua, or enagua, the breech cloth made of cotton and worn around the
middle. Ar. _annaka_, the middle.
Nitainos, the title applied to the petty chiefs, (regillos ò guiallos,
Las Casas, Hist. Apol. cap,[TN-10] 197); _tayno_ vir bonus, _taynos_
nobiles, says Pet. Martyr, (Decad. p. 25). The latter truncated form of
the word was adopted by Rafinesque and others, as a general name for the
people and language of Hayti. There is not the slightest authority for
this, nor for supposing, with Von Martius, that the first syllable is a
pronominal prefix. The derivation is undoubtedly Ar. _nüddan_ to look
well, to stand firm, to do anything well or skilfully.
Nucay or nozay, gold, used especially in Cuba and on the Bahamas. The
words _caona_ and _tuob_ were in vogue in Haiti (Navarrete, Viages, Tom.
1, pp. 45, 134).