section_path: Etymology
section_name: Etymology
paragraph_text: Etymology
  
  It was previously believed that the name Nicaragua was coined by Spanish colonists based on the name Nicarao, who was a cacique of a powerful Nahua tribe encountered by the Spanish conquistador Gil González Dávila during his entry into southwestern Nicaragua in 1522. This theory held that the etymology of Nicaragua was formed from Nicarao and agua (Spanish for 'water'), referring to the two large lakes that are found, Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua. There are also several other bodies of water within the country, such as the Río Coco and San Juan River.
  
  However, this etymology is considered to be outdated by most historians as in 2002 it was discovered that the real name of the cacique was Macuilmiquiztli and not Nicarao. In addition, the Nicaraos referred to their land as Nicānāhuac, which most historians now believe is the true etymology of "Nicaragua". It means "here lies Anahuac" in Nahuatl and is a combination of the words "Nican" (here), and " Ānāhuac ", which in turn is a combination of the words "atl" (water) and "nahuac", a locative meaning "surrounded". Therefore the literal translation of Nicanahuac is "here surrounded by water", fitting the theory that the etymology refers to the large bodies of water in and around the country, the Pacific Ocean, lakes Nicaragua and Xolotlan, and the rivers and lagoons.
  
  Additional theories about the country's name comes from any of the following Nahuatl words: nican-nahua, which means "here are the Nahuas"; and nic-atl-nahuac, the longer form of Nicanahuac meaning "here by the water" or "surrounded by water".