"one of a native people of Central America and northern South America and formerly of the Caribbean," 1550s, from Spanish Caribe, from Arawakan (West Indies) kalingo, karina, or kalino, said to mean "brave ones" or else "strong men." As an adjective by 1881.
"human that eats human flesh," 1550s, from Spanish canibal, caribal "a savage, cannibal," from Caniba, Christopher Columbus' rendition of the Caribs' name for themselves (often given in modern transliterations as kalino or karina; see Carib, and compare Caliban).
The natives were believed by the Europeans to be anthropophagites. Columbus, seeking evidence that he was in Asia, thought the name meant the natives were subjects of the Great Khan. The form was reinforced by later writers who connected it to Latin canis "dog," in reference to their supposed voracity, a coincidence which "naturally tickled the etymological fancy of the 16th c." [OED]. The Spanish word had reached French by 1515. Used of animals from 1796. An Old English word for "cannibal" was selfæta.
large voracious fish of the West Indies and Florida, 1670s, barracoutha, from American Spanish barracuda, which is perhaps from a Carib word.
contagious skin disease, 1670s, from Carib yaya, the native name for it.
indigenous pig-like animal of South America, Central America, and the U.S. Southwest, 1610s, from Spanish vaquira, baquira, from Carib (Guiana or Venezuela) pakira, paquira.
"sea-cow, herbivorous aquatic mammal of the order Manatus," 1550s, from Spanish manati (1530s), from Carib manati "breast, udder." Often associated with Latin manatus "having hands," because the flippers resemble hands. Related: Manatine, manatoid.
"minute fle-like insect of the West Indies and South America," 1756, from West Indies chigoe (1660s), possibly from Carib, or from or influenced by words from African languages (such as Wolof and Yoruba jiga "insect").
"canoe made from the trunk of a hollowed-out tree," 1660s, from French pirogue, from a West Indian language, probably from Galibi (a Carib language) piragua "a dug-out." Compare Spanish piragua (1530s), which might be the intermediate form for the French word. The word was extended to all type of native open boats.
type of tropical American alligator, also cayman, 1570s, from Portuguese or Spanish caiman, from Carib acayouman "crocodile," or perhaps from a Congo African word applied to the reptiles in the new world by African slaves. "The name appears to be one of those like anaconda and bom, boma, which the Portuguese or Spaniards very early caught up in one part of the world, and naturalized in another." [OED]
