The mapuche or mapudungum tongue did not have a writing system when the Spanish arrived. There is no absolute agreement among specialists as to the most appropriate phonemic symbols to transcribe the oral expressions. As a very general rule, the simple words ending in a consonant are stressed in the last syllable, for instance: ralun, malen Those ending with a vowel are stressed in the last syllable but one, for example: huapi, cura, ruca. This is a list of some names based on mapuches words.
Letter A
Acol: leading to the lake.
Achen Niyeu: place that was once hot.
Acun: to end.
Acutun: to return.
Aila: nine.
Ailinco: water that runs over a rocky bed.
Alicura: a stone that is white like milk.
Alumco: a reflection on the water.
Alumine: shining in the bottom.
Andacollo: (from Quechua) the best among minerals.
Antuco: the Indians water.
Aucapan: cougars in heat.
Auquinco: resounding water.
Letter B
Bandurria: migratory bird.
Bio Bio: singing of the fio fio bird.
Botacura: large rock.
Bucalemu: large wood.
Buraleo: river with countless currents.
Butaco: large creek.
Butamalal: large corral.
Butamallin: large swamp or boggy meadow.
Buta ranquil: large pastureland near rivers or ponds.
Letter C
Caburga: tool to crush apple pulp.
Cacha: ornament.
Cachil: boulder.
Cachipampa: salt deposit.
Cahuil: gull.
Cahuin: party, drunkenness.
Calafquen: a lake like a sea.
Calbuco: blue water.
Caleu Caleu: countless gulls.
Caleuche: transformed people.
Calfu: blue.
Calfun: blue eaglet.
Calfupan: blue cougar.
Calfuquen: blue flint.
Calihue: solitary place.
Calquin: large eagle.
Calquinco: large eagle creek.
Calle calle: abundance of iris plants growing near the river bearing the same name.
Callen: solitary river.
Cancagua: rock brazier.
Cangcatun: to grill.
Carelhue: green place.
Carilafquen: green lake or pond.
Carileufu: green river.
Carirriñe: green colihue.
Catanlil: drilled rock.
Catapilco: valley between steep walls.
Catriel: marked, cut.
Caulin: scratch.
Caupolican: hard polished stone like flint.
Cauquen: kind of wild goose.
Caviahue: site of encounter or celebration.
Cayu: six.
Co: water, creek.
Coinco: water of the sand deposit.
Coipo: wild otter.
Colicura: red rocks.
Coli, calu: dun, brownish hue.
Colo colo: wild cat.
Collico: red water.
Collicura: river of red rocks.
Colloncura: rock mask.
Coñaripe: trail of the warriors.
Copahue: place of sulfur.
Copihue: climbing plant and flower of the Andean forests.
Coquimbo: beach inn.
Corel: sand
Coyanco: oak creek.
Cullén: tears.
Cume: good.
Cunco: brown water.
Cuncumen: water murmur.
Curi: dark or black.
Curico: dark water.
Curu-curru: black.
Cutral co: fire creek.
Cuyen: moon.
Cuyum: sand.
Cuyumhue: sandy place.
Cuzco: navel, center.
Letter CH
Chaan: legs.
Cahcai: thorny bush also called michai.
Chacaico: chacai chicha..
Chacay: yellow, thorny.
Chacayal: thorn wood.
Chacha: greeting.
Chachai: daddy.
Chadi: salt.
Chaica: raft.
Chaitun: to filter, to percolate.
Chalintecun: to order, to deliver.
Challa: pot.
Chamay, Chanuay: earrings.
Chapeco: creek or lake shaped like a woman?s plait.
Chapel: bush in humid places.
Chapelco: chapel creek.
Che: people.
Chemehuin, chimehuin: place of dwellings.
Chenque cura: cemetery stone.
Cheuque, choique: rhea.
Chilca: rosemary plant.
Chilla: saddle.
Chillca: written piece, letter, book.
Chiloe: gull island.
Chichin: evergreen bushes with hard wood.
Chucaro: hard.
Chumpiru: hat.
Chuquin: steal.
Chuy chuy: cold.
Letter D
Dalcahue: canoe place.
Dengo: news, matter.
Diuco: clear water.
Diuqin: bird of prey.
Domullo: its meaning is still under discussion, it might mean drain, female breast, female nose, any tip or sharp edge.
Letter E
Ela: three.
Elcun: make a will.
Elo: fence.
Elpicon: to water.
Eltun: to bury.
Elun: to give, to grant.
Entrequen: ash.
Epu: two.
Epu mari: twenty.
Eyeu: there.
Eyetun: to moan, to weep.
Letter F
Faraleufu: river in a snowy region.
Filo Hua Hum: this name derives from Filohuhum, a legendary chief who turned into stone to avoid surrendering to the conquerors.
Futaleufu: large river.
Futrone: place with a cloud of smoke.
Letter G
Guaico: puddle.
Guaimallen: young girl, maiden.
Gualmapu: in the closeness of the land.
Guapi o huapi: island, land isolated by rivers or ravines.
Guatrache: fat people.
Guluche: Chilean araucano.
Gunei: shrewd person.
Guor, guer, guru: fox.
Letter H
Huaca: cow.
Huacaco: cows creek.
Huecu: microscopic fungus of the coirón blanco.
Huechelu: new people.
Huechulafquen: high lake, lake of the end.
Huelemu: recently planted wood.
Huelen: bad luck.
Huellelhue: place to swim.
Huemul: mall deer, kind of antelope that dwells in the Andes.
Huenu: what is high.
Huepil: rainbow.
Huerquehue: place where guanacos are hunted.
Hueyeltue: where you can swim.
Huiliches: southern people.
Huinca: foreigner, not belonging to the araucano area.
Letter I
Icalma: very rocky.
Imul: to roll.
In: to eat.
Inacayal: old thing, Quechua word.
Incahuasi: incas house.
Isique: insect.
Itahue: pastureland..
Letter J
Jaña: answer.
Letter K
Kayu: six.
Ke: liver.
Keñi: five.
Kiñe: one.
Kopawe, copahue: sulfur, place of sulfur.
Kula: three.
Letter L
Lácar: rough lake causing fear.
Lafquen, lauquen: sea.
Lahuen có: medicinal water.
Lancuyen: moon eclipse.
Lanín: verb of the first person plural that means ?we are sinking?. Also ?dead rock ".
Lauquen: lake or pond.
Lautaro: bird of prey.
Lemu: rainforest, wood.
Lemu Cuyén: sandy wood.
Li: rock.
Lican Ray: rolled stones.
Lihuen: light.
Lil: crag, rock.
Liuco: clear water.
Limay: clear river.
Liucura: white smooth stone.
Llacantu: necklaces.
Llohue: hamlet.
Llaima, gaima: drain, ditch, valley.
Llal: widow.
Llanquihue: sunken place or hidden lake.
Llequehue: abandoned site.
Liquiñe: watery eyes.
Loan: guanaco.
Lolen: ditch, pit.
Lolog: soil with holes or depressions.
Lonco: head.
Lonquimay: thick wood.
Luanco: guanaco creek.
Lupi: feather.
Luvur: catfish.
Letter M
Machi: quack, medium between the people and the world of spirits.
Mahuida: mountain range, mountain.
Maile, mailen, malen: maiden, young girl.
Maiten: beautiful tree with leaves coveted by the cattle, mapuche word adapted to Spanish sounds.
Malal: corral.
Malalhue: place of corrals.
Mallín: land where the rain water becomes stagnant.
Mana: miraculous delicacy sent by God to the Israeli in the desert.
Mamuilmalal: wooden fence or corral.
Mapu: country, place, land.
Mapuche: people of this land.
Mara: Patagonian hare.
Mari: ten.
Mari mari: literally ten. Greeting used by the mapuches equivalent to good morning.
May: good.
Maya: river.
Meli: four.
Menetue, menelhue: place to bathe.
Menuco: swamp.
Michai: athorny bush whose fruit are used to make jam, mapuche word adapted to Spanish sounds.
Molle: large beautiful tree, sacred among the Incas.
Moluche: people from where the sun sets.
Moquehue: where there is maqui.
Letter N
Nahuel: tiger.
Nahuel Huapi: tigers island.
Nalca: edible plant.
Namuncura: foot-shaped rock.
Nauco: creek going downstream.
Nahuen: strength, energy.
Neltume: leave freely.
Neuquén: strong overwhelming booming current.
Nguenchen: creator.
Nguilleo: pine nut, fruit of the pehuen.
Nguillatun, nillantun: pray. It represents the most important ceremony among the natives.
Nompuehuenu: on the other side of the sky.
Letter O
Ojanco: river divided into branches.
Ollagua: beautiful view.
Ona: one of the tribes dwelling in Tierra del Fuego.
Oñaupe: poison.
Oñoico: marshland or winding current.
Oñoquintue: to look back.
Letter P
Pachama: old dress.
Paiguen, paihuen: verb form that stands for ?being at peace ".
Paila: with your back to someone.
Paillalco: quiet water.
Paimun: bereft of affection.
Palguin, palquin: medicinal bush.
Panguipulli: cougars hill.
Panqui: cougar young.
Pehuenco: pine tree groves creek.
Pellaifa: frost-covered site.
Pellipulli: high hill.
Peñi: brother.
Perihueyco: water pool.
Petrehue: fire.
Peuma: illusion.
Peumayen: dreamed-of place.
Picun: north.
Picun leufu: northern river.
Pichi: small.
Pichimalal: small corral.
Pichimavida, pichimahuida: small hill.
Pichin: few, little.
Pichinco: little water.
Pichitrutruca: musical instrument.
Pilolai y Pifilca: mapuche musical instruments.
Pilpil: take care of, provide proper assistance.
Pirehueico: snow spot, snow hole.
Piren: to snow, snow.
Pitren: pottery jar associated to funerary customs.
Pucará: populations, fortresses, fortified place.
Pucon: clay vessel, entrance.
Puelo: to the east, located in the east.
Pulmahue: to do something right.
Pulmari: to do something right ten times.
Purra: eight.
Puyehue: water teeming with puyes (small fish in lakes and rivers, edible and similar to the sardine).
Letter Q
Quechu: five.
Quechuquina: kingfisher.
Quelhue, quelihue: red tinge.
Quellen: strawberry.
Quellon, quillon: help.
Quemquemtreu: steep slope.
Queñi: scrubland.
Quetralco, cutralco: literally "fire creek ".
Quetrihue: where there are myrtle trees.
Quetrupillán: blunt volcano.
Quichra: moking pipe.
Quillaco: quilas creek.
Quilacoyan: three oak trees.
Quila Quina: three points.
Quilquihue: climbing plant site.
Quillehue: place of tears.
Quillen: small ponds formed in the winter, throw an arrow.
Quiñe: one.
Quinchahue: smooth place or place where two things meet.
Quintral: to be even, for two things.
Quiyan: to stock.
Letter R
Rahue: clayish site.
Raihuen: flowery mouth.
Ranco: creek of bets.
Rehue: sacred place exclusively reserved for religious ceremonies.
Ralí: wooden plate.
Reloncavi: festival in the valleys.
Relonche: denizens of the valley.
Relque: seven.
Renalhue: cemetery.
Rucalhue: site appointed to build a new house.
Rucamalen: girls house.
Ruca Ñire: foxs cave.
Rüfüwe: wooden ladle.
Rupanco: Rupanco: waters flowing.
Rutur: pass by, or nearby.
Letter S
Sangcul: to knead.
Sayi: fruit.
Sefolla: onion.
Saihueque, Sayhueque: chief Valentín "Shaihueque".
Sechu: the gnome.
Serfin: to take care of, to serve.
Siquil Shiquil: ilver ornament worn by araucano women.
Sotaqui: very large.
Suran: to swear.
Suyai: hope.
Letter T
Tahiel: sacred chant.
Tapilhue, trapilhue: site where peppers are grown.
Temuco: temu water or creek.
Til til: bare, barren.
Trabun: to be united.
Trabunco: encounter of waters.
Traful: confluence.
Trancura: fallen stone.
Tomen: totora (plant).
Toquis: stone axes.
Traitraico: water falling with noise.
Trantrapiwe: mortar.
Trapelacucha: pectoral.
Trompul: twisted, crooked.
Tucapel: to take something by force.
Tunquelen: resting site.
Tupu: brooch whose circular head is made of chiseled silver and a long pin, with which it is attached to the dress.
Tuqueco: dead stick creek.
Tutun: to borrow.
Letter U
Ucun: to stay.
Uhueco: isolated creek.
Ulpo: beverage made with toasted flour and cold water.
Umaln: to lodge.
Une: ahead.
Unguelén: to forget.
Uniquen: there is shrimp.
Uñan: lover.
Uñum: birds.
Upeo: oblivion.
Urumen: to faint.
Uwa: corn.
Letter V
Valcheta: narrow valley.
Veinentun: to approve of.
Velehuen: to result.
Veyentun: to be convenient.
Vichuquen: very isolated place.
Villantun: to live in poverty.
Viravira: life herb.
Viruco: cold water creek.
Vuta cura: large stone.
Vuta leuvu: large river.
Letter Y
Yafu: hard.
Yal: son, descendant.
Yali: mosquito.
Yampai: glare.
Yanquen llaunquen: to invite somebody to have a meal.
Yapa: what is given without an obligation, a gift.
Yapai: to provide.
Yarquen: owl.
Yavu: sturdy, strong.
Yene: whale.
Yepan: to take.
Yeumen: agile.
Yevaltum: to order.
Yicoi: to fear.
Yuco: from "Yucón" sharp.
Yuculcu: ring, bracelet.
Yuen: deer.
Yuli: silverside.
Yumbrel: the rainbow in all splendors.
Yunyay: temperate valley.
Yupi: shoulder.
Letter Z
Zapala: mortal swamp.
Zapallo, zapallu: Quechua word, the gourd. In the mapuche tongue: "penca".
Bibliography
Autors: Dra. Carmen Zucarelli, Lic. Marisa Malvestitti, Raúl Izafuirre, Jorge Nahuel. Pehuén Lecturas Marcelino Castro García.
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