Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
indigenous people of Guam and the Marianas Islands, from Spanish Chamorro, literally "shorn, shaven, bald." Supposedly because the men shaved their heads, but the name also has been connected to native Chamoru, said to mean "noble," so perhaps Chamorro is a Spanish folk etymology.
Wiktionary
a. Pertaining to the indigenous native islanders of the Mariana Islands consisting of Guam, Saipan, Rota, and Tinian. n. 1 An indigenous native islander of the Mariana Islands consisting of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan, Rota, and Tinian. 2 An Wikipedia:Austronesian language spoken by the indigenous native islanders of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.
Wikipedia
Chamorro may refer to:
- Chamorro language, an Austronesian language spoken on Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands
- Chamorro people, the indigenous people of the Marianas Islands in the Western Pacific
- Chamorro Party, a 19th-century Portuguese political party (See Portuguese Prime Ministers)
- Chamorro Time Zone, formerly the Guam Time Zone, the time zone in which Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are situated
The Chamorro family has its origin in Spain. A branch of the family became prominent in Nicaragua in the 18th century and its influence continues to the present. Historically, the Chamorros have been closely associated with the Conservatives, but the Sandinista Revolution has divided their loyalties, with some members supporting the Sandinistas. Outstanding members of this family are:
Usage examples of "chamorro".
Cobb and McLanahan waited near a group of soldiers until a civilian contractor-hired "Guam Bomb" jeepney bus, its body rusting and its broken leaf springs squeaking with every movement, trundled by, then stepped on board-the bus was so full it looked as if the fat native Chamorro driver had to sit sideways to let riders on.
In fact, the island was more than half foreign-owned now, a source of annoyance to many of the native Chamorros people, but not so great an annoyance as to prevent many of them from taking the money and moving off the land.