tepui

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A type of table-top mountain or mesa found in the Guiana Highlands of South America, especially in Venezuela.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɛpwi/

Word forms

tepui tepuis tepuies tepuy

Etymology

From Spanish tepuy, from Pemon tüpü (“rocky system, mountain, tepui”), though sometimes erroneously said to be from Pemon tapüi (“house”) in the sense of ‘house of the gods’. Perhaps ultimately related to Proto-Cariban *tôpu (“stone”), though the Pemon etymon is not a direct descendant.

Related words

tepuian
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