From Taino 'hamaka' (hanging bed) via Spanish — one of the first Caribbean words to enter European languages after 1492.
A bed made of canvas or rope mesh suspended between two supports, used for sleeping or relaxing.
From Spanish 'hamaca,' borrowed from Taíno 'hamaka,' a word from the Arawakan language family of the Caribbean. Columbus's crew encountered hammocks in the Bahamas in 1492, and the Spanish adoption was nearly immediate—one of the first Amerindian loanwords to enter European languages. The Taíno word likely derives from a root meaning 'stretch' or 'fish
German 'Hängematte' (literally 'hanging mat') is a folk etymology — German speakers reinterpreted the unfamiliar Taino word 'hamaka' as something meaningful in their own language. The hammock was one of the most important Caribbean contributions to European seafaring: suspended beds swayed with the ship's motion rather than rolling the sailor off, and they could be stacked in tiers to maximize crew quarters. Other Taino words in English include