LINGUOPOLITICAL DISCOURSE OF COUNTRY NAMES IN ABYA YALA (LATIN AMERICA): AN ETYMOLOGICAL AND GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47390/SPR1342V6I4Y2026N33Keywords:
toponymy, etymology, Abya Yala, linguopolitics, colonial discourse, national-cultural identity, Latin America.Abstract
This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the etymological origins of country names in Abya Yala
(commonly referred to in contemporary academic discourse as “Latin America”) from linguistic and political
perspectives. The term Abya Yala, derived from the language of the Guna people of present-day Panama, denotes
“land in full maturity,” “eternal land,” or “a fertile land that sustains life,” and is increasingly employed as a
decolonial alternative to colonial naming conventions. Accordingly, this concept is interpreted not merely as a
geographical designation but as an epistemological and linguopolitical category.
The relevance of the study lies in the understanding of toponyms as complex semiotic systems that embody
historical memory, national-cultural identity, and the discourse of political power, rather than as purely
nominative units. The article examines the names of countries such as Argentina, Peru, Chile, Nicaragua, Paraguay,
Uruguay, Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, and Brazil, focusing on linguistic transformations, language contact
phenomena, and colonial and postcolonial naming strategies.
The findings suggest that these toponyms are products of intricate interactions between indigenous and European
languages, through which mechanisms of political domination, cultural hegemony, and the reconfiguration of
identity are articulated. From this perspective, the concept of Abya Yala enables a reconsideration of toponymic
studies within a decolonial paradigm, offering new insights into the relationship between language and power.
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