Proper Names.—But few native families of the Mangue districts of Nicaragua have retained names drawn from their ancient tongues. In a list before me of several hundred persons in Masaya and Managua, the only surnames from the Mangue are Norori, Ñamendi, Namullure, Putoi, Nionongue, Macanche, and perhaps Huembes and Piura. Generally, the natives adopted Spanish surnames.
On the other hand, a large number of local names, derived from the Mangue language, on the map of Nicaragua still define the region once occupied by this nation. Such are Nindiria (from ninda, shore, diri, hill), Nakutiri (from naku, fire, diri, hill), Monimbe (nimbu, water, rain), Nandasimo (nanda, brook), Mombonasi (nasi, woman), Masaya, Managua, Namotiva, Norome, Nicoya, Oretina, etc., etc.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Letter of Gil Gonzalez Dávila to the Emperor Charles V, in Costa-Rica, Nicaragua y Panama en el Siglo xvi, por D. Manuel E. de Peralta, p. 9 (Madrid, 1833).
[2] Historia General y Natural de Indias, Part iii, Lib. iii.
[3] Palacio, Carta al Rey, Ed. Squier, p. 20.
[4] See the Report of Coronado in the collection of Peralta above quoted, p. 777.
[5] Ibid, p. 704.
[6] “Vinieron antiguamente de la Provincia de Nicaragua unas gentes que cansados de andar y de las descomodades que la peregrinacion trae consigo, se quedaron en tierra de Chiapa, y poblaron en un peñol aspero orillas de un Rio Grande que pasa por medio della y fortificaronse alli, porque nunca se quisieron sujetar á los Reyes de Mejico, antes tenian continuamente guerra con sus capitanes.” etc. Remesal, Historia de Chiapa y Guatemala, Lib. iv, cap. xiii.