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Nic·a·ra·gua

(nĭk′ə-rägwə)

A country of Central America on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Various Indian peoples, including the Miskito, inhabited the area when Columbus visited in 1502. Spanish settlement began in 1524. The colony was ruled as part of Guatemala until 1821, when the entire region gained independence. Since its designation as a republic in 1838, Nicaragua has had a turbulent history, with frequent intervention by foreign powers. Managua is the capital and the largest city.

Ni′ca·raguan adj. & n.

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Nicaragua

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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