columbian

Everyday

1. To do with Christopher Columbus (as in pre-Columbian, before Columbus reached the Americas). tree →
2. To do with places called Columbia, such as British Columbia in Canada, the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) or the Columbia River. tree →
3. Often a misspelling of Colombian, which means from Colombia, the country in South America. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, pre-Columbian means the Americas before European contact (the Maya, Aztecs, Inca). In spelling lessons, children learn the trap: the country is Colombia, and its people and coffee are Colombian. Phrases: pre-Columbian art, British Columbian.

Examples

• The museum shows pre-Columbian gold from Peru. tree →
• The Columbian Exposition was a world fair in Chicago. tree →
• People from British Columbia are sometimes called British Columbians. tree →
• Colombian coffee is from Colombia, spelled with an o. tree →
• Pre-Columbian peoples grew maize and potatoes. tree →
• The Columbian salmon swim up the Columbia River. tree →

Note

Big spelling trap: Colombia (country) has o-o; Columbia (US places, British Columbia, universities) has o-u. Columbian is not the right word for the people of Colombia.