‖ Montaña1
(mɔnˈtaɲa)
[Sp.: see mountain.]
1. pl. As the proper name of certain mountain districts in Spain.
| 1842 Penny Cycl. XXII. 291/1 The Montañas of Asturias. |
2. In Spanish-American countries: A forest of considerable extent; spec. the name of the part of Peru east of the Andes. Cf. monte2.
| 1840 Penny Cycl. XVIII. 3/2 [Peru], The Mountain Region, or Montaña, runs parallel to the Pacific. 1856 I. F. Holton New Granada 436 (Cent.) All land covered with thicket is called monte if it be but a few miles through, and montaña if more. 1878 H. W. Bates Central Amer., etc. 210 The traveller..finds himself in the Montaña of Peru, a..little-known region on the eastern slopes of the Andes. Ibid. 339 The Ecuador Montaña is..more abundantly watered. 1888 Guillaume Amazon Prov. Peru 3 The Montaña or forest country—is that immense region lying along the slopes of the..eastern range of the Andes. |