samambaîa

Old Tupi

samambaîa (sense 1)

samambaîa (sense 2)

Etymology

From sama (“rope”) +‎ paîa (“weight”), literally, “weight rope”, or more loosely translated as “pendant rope”, referring to the shape of its leaves.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sã.mãˈᵐba.ja/
• Rhymes: -aja
• Hyphenation: sa‧ma‧mba‧îa

Noun

samambaîa (unpossessable)

1. Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides)
2. forked fern (any fern in the genus Dicranopteris)

Descendants

• Nheengatu: samambaya
• → Portuguese: samambaia (“fern”)