The meaning of Patagonia

Abstract

The meaning of the place-name, Patagonia, has eluded us, in spite of bizarre attempts such as the unverifiable "big feet" to designate the American Indians of the Tierra del Fuego. I submit a possibility that is suggested to me by studying Thomas Bridges' Yamana Dictionary. The dictionary is arranged by grouping morphemes together, in an organization similar to the manner in which the Sumerian dictionary is being compiled at the University of Pennsylvania. The Yamana dictionary reflects the world-view of these southern-most peoples. It appears to demonstrate how the brain organizes and labels elements and artifacts of the world according to perception­how humans see the world and use linguistics to label it.