waryee

Yao (South America)

Etymology

From Proto-Cariban *wôrɨti; compare Apalaí (w)oryxi, Kari'na woryi, Trió wëri, Wayana wëlïi, Akawaio wuri, Macushi wîri, Pemon wörü, Ye'kwana wodi.

Noun

waryee

1. sister

Usage notes

Kinship terminology in Cariban languages functions very differently from that in Indo-European languages. For this reason, it is unclear if the recorded meaning of this word ‘sister’ accurately reflects the meaning in the original language.

Further reading

• de Laet, Johannes (1633) Novus orbis seu descriptionis Indiæ occidentalis, Libri XVIII, page 643