Word of the Week: Boricua

At this point I think it's time to start the Puerto Rican word of the week, especcially since there is the potential that the blog could be read without understanding its title!

Boricua is another name for Puerto Ricans. It derives from Boriken/Borinquén, the Taíno Indian name for the island.

Taínos will be subject for another post (or a lot), but until then just understand that they were the main people of the Caribbean (along with the Caribs, who gave us the name for the Caribbean and the word cannibal). Their other names include Quisqueya/Aytí for Hispaniola and Xaymaca for Jamaica.

It may also be of interest to know there's a Boricua College in New York City. I've actually been since they have a museum adjacent to the school. I can't vouch for its quality, however.