Editing Nicaragua (section)

== Etymology ==<!-- Linked to by another article. -->

It was previously believed that the name ''Nicaragua'' was coined by Spanish colonists based on the name [[Nicarao (cacique)|Nicarao]],<ref name="Ideal">{{cite news|title=¿Por qué los países de América Latina se llaman como se llaman?|url=http://www.ideal.es/sociedad/201507/29/paises-america-latina-llaman-20150727134054.html|access-date=12 April 2017|work=Ideal|date=29 July 2015|trans-title=Why do Latin American countries call themselves as they are called?|language=es|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225183349/https://www.ideal.es/sociedad/201507/29/paises-america-latina-llaman-20150727134054.html|url-status=live}}</ref> who was a [[cacique]] of a powerful [[Nahua]] tribe encountered by the Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Gil González Dávila]] during his entry into southwestern Nicaragua in 1522. This theory held that the etymology of Nicaragua was formed from Nicarao and {{lang|es|agua}} (Spanish for 'water'), referring to the two large lakes that are found, [[Lake Nicaragua]] and [[Lake Managua]]. There are also several other bodies of water within the country, such as the [[Río Coco]] and [[San Juan River (Nicaragua)|San Juan River]].<ref name="Pueblo">{{cite news|last1=Sánchez|first1=Edwin|title=El origen de "Nicarao-agua": la Traición y la Paz|url=http://www.elpueblopresidente.com/noticias/ver/titulo:35129-el-origen-de-nicarao-agua-la-traicion-y-la-paz|access-date=3 July 2017|work=El Pueblo Presidente|date=16 October 2016|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801080334/http://www.elpueblopresidente.com/noticias/ver/titulo:35129-el-origen-de-nicarao-agua-la-traicion-y-la-paz|archive-date=1 August 2017|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

However, this etymology is considered to be outdated by most historians as in 2002 it was discovered that the real name of the cacique was Macuilmiquiztli and not Nicarao.<ref>"Nicarao"</ref><ref>"Encuentro"</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sánchez|first1=Edwin|title=De Macuilmiquiztli al Güegüence pasando por Fernando Silva|url=https://www.el19digital.com/articulos/ver/titulo:47267-de-macuilmiquiztli-al-gueguence-pasando-por-fernando-silva|access-date=12 April 2017|work=El 19|date=3 October 2016|trans-title=From Macuilmiquizli to Güegüence through Fernando Silva|language=es|archive-date=14 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414003323/https://www.el19digital.com/articulos/ver/titulo:47267-de-macuilmiquiztli-al-gueguence-pasando-por-fernando-silva|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Silva|first1=Fernando|title=Macuilmiquiztli|url=http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/cultural/118693-macuilmiquiztli/|access-date=12 April 2017|work=El Nuevo Diario|date=15 March 2003|language=es|archive-date=12 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412143935/http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/cultural/118693-macuilmiquiztli/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In addition, the [[Nicarao people|Nicaraos]] referred to their land as Nicānāhuac, which most historians now believe is the true etymology of "Nicaragua". It means "here lies Anahuac" in Nahuatl and is a combination of the words "Nican" (here),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nican|title=Nahuatl Dictionary: Nican|access-date=8 March 2025|archive-date=10 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610042122/https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nican|url-status=live}}</ref> and "[[Anahuac (Aztec)|Ānāhuac]]", which in turn is a combination of the words "atl" (water) and "nahuac", a locative meaning "surrounded". Therefore the literal translation of ''Nicanahuac'' is "here surrounded by water", fitting the theory that the etymology refers to the large bodies of water in and around the country, the [[Pacific Ocean]], lakes [[Lake Nicaragua|Nicaragua]] and [[Lake Xolotlan|Xolotlan]], and the rivers and lagoons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://planlea.edu.do/2017/02/origen-de-los-nombres-de-los-paises-de-latinoamaerica/|title= Origin of the names of the Latin American countries|date= 8 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://elcafelatino.org/es/latinoamerica-origen-nombre-paises/|title= The curious story of the origin of the names of Latin American countries|date= 16 February 2022}}</ref><ref name="cclec.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cclec.org/membership/nicaragua/|title= Nicaragua|date= 4 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nahuatl Dictionary |url=https://www.vocabulario.com.mx/nahuatl/diccionario_nahuatl_n.html |access-date=8 March 2025 |archive-date=19 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119035007/https://www.vocabulario.com.mx/nahuatl/diccionario_nahuatl_n.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://etimologias.dechile.net/?Nicaragua|title=Etymology of Nicaragua|access-date=8 March 2025|archive-date=10 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610042124/https://etimologias.dechile.net/?Nicaragua|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mined.gob.ni/biblioteca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Libro-Toponimia-Octubre-2022.pdf|title=Nicaraguan place names|access-date=19 October 2024|archive-date=10 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610042123/https://www.mined.gob.ni/biblioteca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Libro-Toponimia-Octubre-2022.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://telegrafi.com/en/from-Brazil-to-Bolivia-and-Costa-Rica%2C-some-explanations-about-the-names-of-Latin-American-countries/|title=From Brazil to Bolivia and Costa Rica: Explanations about Latin American country names|work=Telegrafi |date=31 May 2018 |access-date=8 March 2025|archive-date=28 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250228062411/https://telegrafi.com/en/from-Brazil-to-Bolivia-and-Costa-Rica%2C-some-explanations-about-the-names-of-Latin-American-countries/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Additional theories about the country's name comes from any of the following Nahuatl words: {{lang|nci|nican-nahua}}, which means "here are the Nahuas"; and {{lang|nci|nic-atl-nahuac}}, the longer form of Nicanahuac meaning "here by the water" or "surrounded by water".<ref name="cclec.org"/><ref name="Ideal" /><ref name="Pueblo" /><ref name="Choque">{{cite web |last1=Solórzano |first1=Carla Torres |title=Choque de lenguas o el mestizaje de nuestro idioma |url=http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2010/09/18/espectaculo/38089-choque-de-lenguas-o-el-mestizaje-de-nuestro-idioma |website=La Prensa |access-date=26 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412143717/http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2010/09/18/espectaculo/38089-choque-de-lenguas-o-el-mestizaje-de-nuestro-idioma |archive-date=12 April 2017 |trans-title=Clash of languages or the mixing of our language |language=es |date=18 September 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=La raíz nahuatl de nuestro lenguaje|url=http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/cultural/132502-raiz-nahuatl-nuestro-lenguaje/|access-date=3 July 2017|work=El Nuevo Diario|date=10 August 2004|trans-title=The Nahuatl root of our language|language=es|archive-date=12 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812052335/http://archivo.elnuevodiario.com.ni/cultural/132502-raiz-nahuatl-nuestro-lenguaje/|url-status=dead}}</ref>