Spanish word

prehispánico

Pronunciation

IPA/pɾeisˈpaniko/

Meaning

  • adjectivepre-Columbian

Example

En el museo vimos cerámica prehispánica.

At the museum we saw pre-Columbian pottery.

Illustration for prehispánico (pre-Columbian)

More examples

Leí un artículo sobre la cultura prehispánica de la zona.

I read an article about the pre-Columbian culture of the area.

Core concept

Mesoamerican clay figurine described as prehispánico in a museum label.

Common phrases

  • objeto prehispánico

    pre-Columbian artifact

  • cultura prehispánica

    pre-Columbian culture

  • arte prehispánico

    pre-Columbian art

Similar words

precolombino: Describing cultural remains in the Americas that predate Columbus's arrival.
indígena: Produced by or relating to a place's original native population and its culture.
ancestral: Ancient in origin, preserved through ancestral practices or inherited memory.

Definition in Spanish

Se aplica a manifestaciones culturales o restos arqueológicos que datan de antes de la conquista española en América.

Word origin

Formed from pre- 'before' plus hispánico 'of Hispania', the term in Spanish denotes archaeological remains or cultural expressions in the Americas that come from before the Spanish conquest.

Usage tips

  • Common collocations include cerámica prehispánica and sitio prehispánico, and adding a geographic tag (Mesoamerican, Andean) helps identify the specific pre-conquest culture.

Opposites

Word lists with this word