Cora
Cora (noun) means a member of the Cora, an Indigenous people of west-central Mexico. Example: “The festival featured traditional dances performed by the Cora of Nayarit.”
How to use Cora
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRefers to a person belonging to the Cora Indigenous group of Mexico, or to their language.
As a capitalized name, Cora is also a common given name for girls — context tells you whether it means the name or the Indigenous people.
Word forms
- Plural
- Coras
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The festival featured traditional dances performed by the _____ of Nayarit.
Etymology
Apparently brought up in English literature by James Fenimore Cooper in The Last of the Mohicans (1826), but compare a female heroine of this name in Jean-François Marmontel's Les Incas (1777) and the Ancient Greek epithet Κόρη (Kórē) for Περσεφόνη (Persephónē). It could also refer directly to κόρη (kórē, “maiden”).
