Type River & Region
Usage English
Meaning & History
The name of a river and rainforest situated in Brazil and some neighbouring countries. The river was named Río Amazonas, reportedly after the Amazons of Greek mythology, by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana when his expedition was attacked there in 1542 by indigenous warrior women. The Greek name may be of Iranian origin meaning "warriors".
Related Names
VariantAmazonas
Other Languages & CulturesAmazonas, Amazonka(Czech) Amazonas, Amazone(Dutch) Amazonas, Amazone(French) Amazonas(German) Amazonas, Amazzoni(Italian) Amazonas, Amazonka(Polish) Amazonas(Portuguese) Amazônia(Portuguese (Brazilian)) Amazónia(Portuguese (European)) Amazonas, Amazonka(Slovak) Amazonas, Amazonia(Spanish)
