ceiba
UK[ˈseɪbə]US[ˈseɪbə]
n
a very tall tropical tree of the silk-cotton family, with large seed pods containing silky fibers.
Etymology
the word 'ceiba' entered english via spanish colonial contact with the flora of the americas. its ultimate origin is the taíno word 'ceiba', used specifically for the majestic silk-cotton tree (ceiba pentandra). this is a classic example of a loanword where the name of a distinct biological entity is adopted directly from the indigenous language of its native region. the term carries no compositional meaning from classical european roots but instead preserves a direct link to the cultural and natural environment where the tree was first encountered by europeans.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from spanish, which itself borrowed it from the taíno (arawak) language of the caribbean. it is not productively formed from classical greek or latin morphemes within english.
Examples
the massive ceiba tree is often considered sacred in various mesoamerican cultures.
kapok, a buoyant fiber used for stuffing life jackets, comes from the seed pods of the ceiba.
the national tree of guatemala is the ceiba, also known as the kapok tree.