Araucanian

noun

Arau·​ca·​ni·​an ə-ˌrau̇-ˈkä-nē-ən How to pronounce Araucanian (audio) ˌa-ˌrȯ-ˈkā- How to pronounce Araucanian (audio)
variants or less commonly Araucan
ə-ˈrau̇-kən How to pronounce Araucanian (audio)
1
: a member of a group of Indian peoples of south central Chile and adjacent regions of Argentina
2
: the language of the Araucanian people that constitutes an independent language family
Araucanian adjective

Word History

Etymology

Spanish araucano (from Arauco, earlier Rauco, Mapuche "province" of 16th-century Chile + -ano -an entry 1) + -ian

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Araucanian was in 1777

Rhymes for Araucanian

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Browse Nearby Words

Araucana
Araucanian
araucaria
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Cite this Entry

“Araucanian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Araucanian. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.

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