Yanomami

noun

Ya·​no·​ma·​mi ˌyä-nō-ˈmä-mē How to pronounce Yanomami (audio)
variants or less commonly Yanomamo or Yanomama
plural Yanomami also Yanomamis or Yanomamo or Yanomama
1
: an indigenous people inhabiting the rainforests of southern Venezuela and northern Brazil
also : a member of the Yanomami people
2
: the family of four closely related languages spoken by the Yanomami

Examples of Yanomami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After a January 2023 presidential decree ordered the air force to close the airspace over Yanomami territory, the situation improved significantly, authorities and Indigenous people said. Fabiano Maisonnave, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Feb. 2024 The Falling Sky, about the threat to the existence of the Amazonian Yanomami people, ahead of its screening in DOC NYC next month. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024 Nunes Neto's motivation stemmed from the necessity to address water pollution affecting the Yanomami tribes in the Amazon rainforest and aims to offer a practical solution for tracking environmental damage in vulnerable areas. Sanam Mahoozi, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024 The gold miners’ numbers now approach those of the roughly 30,000 Yanomami. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024 Up until the early 1970s, the Yanomami had existed in relative isolation. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 19 May 2024 Today, about thirty thousand Yanomami live in the Brazilian Amazon. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024 Violence, hunger, and disease have exploded in the Yanomami’s territory since 2019, spiraling into a crisis that has captured headlines at home and abroad. Ana Ionova, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 Some of the Yanomami and their defenders praise Cartier’s promotion of Yanomami causes. Fabiano Maisonnave, Fortune, 15 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

Yanomamɨ (language of the western Yanomami) yanomamɨ, a self-designation

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Yanomami was in 1967

Dictionary Entries Near Yanomami

Cite this Entry

“Yanomami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Yanomami. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

Yanomami

noun
Ya·​no·​ma·​mi ˌyän-ō-ˈmäm-ē How to pronounce Yanomami (audio)
plural Yanomami
: a member of the Indigenous people living in the rain forests of southern Venezuela and northern Brazil

More from Merriam-Webster on Yanomami

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!