Nhengatu origin
Source-reportedMeaning: “bee's exit”
Coined by Brazilian writer José de Alencar in 1865, as the name of the title character in the novel Iracema. According to the author, it means “honey lips” in Old Tupi, although honey is eíra and lip is apûã /embé. Navarro proposes it's actually from Nheengatu irasema (“bee's exit”).
Sources for this account (4)
- Wiktionary: IracemaCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
- Greek Wiktionary: IracemaCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
- French Wiktionary: IracemaCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Portuguese Wiktionary: IracemaCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14

