The Spaniards too had left their marks

RECENTLY WE published an article on how, despite our efforts to break away from the political ties that Jamaica has with Britain, there will always be a strong connection between both jurisdictions because the names of hundreds of places in Jamaica were influenced by the names of places in British and the people who lived in and governed the colony that got its independence in 1962.

But the Spaniards were here before the British, and they too have left indelible marks by way of place names. The name Jamaica itself is said to have evolved from the Spanish, Xaymaca (“a country abounding in springs”), as the X in Spanish is pronounced like J. It appeared as Jamaica on paper as early as 1511, the start of the Spanish settlement here. Jamaica was also known as Santiago.

The research has also uncovered many spelling variations: Jamaca, Jamaicha, Jamaiana, Jamaiqua, Xamayca, Jamico, Jammaca, Jamecah. This is so because there are many other stories of the origin of the word. One is that it is a combination of James from King James and ‘ca’, a native Indian word meaning, island. Respected historian Edward Long wrote in 1774 that “It is not improbable that Jamaica is a name of Indian extraction, perhaps from Jamacaru”.

St Jago de la Vega (St James of the Plain) used to be the capital of Jamaica, but though there is a high school name, and a community name that evolved from it, the generally area is now called Spanish Town, the capital of St Catherine parish.

Still in St Catherine, the town of Esquivel, named after the first Spanish governor, Juan de Esquivel, is now Old Harbour. Port Esquivel near Old Harbour still has the name. Liudas, as in Luidas Vale, came from luzida (fine, happy). Agualta Vale came from agua alta (deep river, and Bog Walk from boca d’agua (water’s mouth). And did you know that Angels in St Catherine was once called Los Angeles (The Angels)?

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Sevilla Nueva (New Seville) in St Ann was the first Spanish settlement in Jamaica. Bluefields in Westmoreland was once called Oristan. Oracabessa in St Mary came out of Ora Cabeza (golden head). Montego Bay started out as Mantica Bahia (Lard Bay). The place was teeming with hogs whose fat (lard) the Spaniards exported to Europe. Liguanea in St Andrew is said to come from lia-with-guana, the name of a creature, perhaps the iguana.

Then there are the rivers: Rio Bueno – Trelawny; Rio Cobre (Copper River) – St Catherine; Rio Magno (Great River) – St Ann; Rio Minho (Jamaica longest river); and Rio Nuevo (Novo) – St Mary/St Ann. Ocho Rios (Eight Rivers) was commonly called Chareiras or Cheireras, the ‘Bay of the Waterfalls’.

Is there a connection between Moneague in St Ann and Moneque or Monesca Savannah, and between Maria Buena Bay in Trelawny and Mari Bona (Mary the Good)? Cabarita Punta (Goat Point) and Cabarita River are in Westmoreland, while Cabarita Island is off the coast of Port Maria, St Mary, and Cabarita Point is in Old Harbour, St Catherine.

Many of these Spanish place names have disappeared from the Jamaican landscape, perhaps because Spanish was no longer the language of imperialism in here. Places like Escondido Puerto (Hidden Harbour), Flora Ria (Flower River), Fortaleza Point (Fort Point), Alta Mela, Rio de Camarones, Caborida, Carvil Bahia, Escondido Puerto, Flora Rio, Fortaliza Punta, Guada Bocoa, Jarissa Punta, Javaree, Multi, Bezon Rio and Perexil Insula, etc, are no longer on the map or imprinted in the brains of Jamaicans.