Borican

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A term referring to a person of Puerto Rican descent, used to express cultural pride and identity ; relating to the island of Puerto Rico or its people, culture, and heritage ; denoting linguistic, artistic, or societal elements connected to Puerto Rican origins
2. Used to describe someone from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican heritage, emphasizing ethnic and cultural background ; pertaining to the traditions, customs, and social aspects unique to Puerto Rico ; identifying attributes or expressions linked to Puerto Rican ancestry and community
3. Designating individuals who are natives or descendants of Puerto Rico, often signaling community belonging or cultural roots ; associated with the distinctive cultural, historical, and social characteristics of Puerto Rico ; applied to language, art, or practices derived from or related to Puerto Rican lineage

Etymology: Spanish colonists heard the island's Taíno name as Borinquen, and the people who lived there were called borincanos. Taíno was never written down in a systematic way, so the name's exact meaning is uncertain; it is often glossed as something like "land of the valiant lord." When Columbus landed in 1493, he named the island San Juan Bautista, and the capital took the name San Juan, but the older name persisted for the island and its people. The ending "-ano" is a standard Spanish suffix meaning "from" or "belonging to," as in "mexicano" or "americano." English writers adopted the form "borican," which is a variant spelling of the Spanish "borincano," and it serves as both an adjective and a noun. Its close relative "boricua," which Puerto Ricans began using more widely in the twentieth century, is the form most common in everyday speech today.

Synonyms: Puerto Rican