paraguacu
paraguacu Lexical Profile
• noun
A major river in the state of Bahia, Brazil, that flows generally eastward and empties into the Bay of All Saints (Baía de Todos os Santos).
"The Paraguaçu River played a crucial role in the economic development and agricultural transportation of early colonial Bahia."
A 16th-century Tupinambá indigenous woman, baptized as Catarina Paraguaçu, who became an influential historical figure and matriarch in early colonial Brazil through her marriage to Portuguese explorer Diogo Álvares Correia.
"Catarina Paraguaçu is often symbolically remembered as one of the founding mothers of the Brazilian nation."
• Rhymes for paraguacu
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Tupi indigenous language of Brazil, combining 'pará' (sea or great river) and 'gûasu' (large or great), meaning 'great river'.