In most dictionaries, "vaina" is first and foremost a sheath, either for a knife or a bayonette. It
is also a seed pod.
Thus the joke about the Amapola tree and marriage: What do they have in common? Both begin with flowers and end up with "Vainas" ...
In the uneducated sector of the population it also refers to the female genitalia, possibly in a confusion with the Spanish pronunciation of the word "vagina" : Bah-
he-nah
Some linguists have found what they consider words that might be from Taino/Arawak, but I don't know enough about this to comment. See Jimenez, Arturo, et al.
El Español de la República Dominicana Of course there are plenty of place names and proper names: Guaroa, and other names and , you forgot,
cacique....
Regards,
HB
