CHamoru

[ chuh-mawr-oh; Spanish chah-mawr-raw ]

noun

, plural CHa·mor·us [ch, uh, -, mawr, -ohz, chah-, mawr, -, r, aws], (especially collectively) CHa·mor·u

1. a people inhabiting the Mariana Islands, or people of CHamoru origin or descent.
2. the Austronesian language of the CHamoru.

Spelling Note

The first two letters are both capitalized in the official spelling of CHamoru to indicate that they make a single sound. Several other languages have such digraphs marked by spelling conventions, such as the ligature œ in French or æ in Old English.

Word History and Origins

Origin of CHamoru¹

First recorded in 1990–95; a native name based on the indigenous orthography of the Spanish Chamorro ( def )