EASTERN TUKANOAN NAMES OF THE PALM IRIARTEA DELTOIDEA: EVIDENCE OF ITS POSSIBLE PREAGRICULTURAL USE AS A STARCH SOURCE

The Eastern Tukanoan of the Vaupés River region along the Colombian-Brazilian border have long used the palm Iriartea deltoidea as a durable building material. A recent study examining the linguistic roots of the local names of various palm species reveals that, in at least five languages of the Eastern Tukanoan, the contemporary name for Iriartea deltoidea suggests that it was also once a source of starch, a use not yet recorded for this species. Considering its demographic and structural characteristics, harvest of Iriartea deltoidea for starch would not be suitable for sedentary societies. We present a hypothesis that contemporary names for this palm are remnants of words from a time when the ancestors of the Eastern Tukanoan were hunter-gatherers and exploited this source of starch.