Etymology of Argentina

Argentina (an Italian adjective meaning "silvery") is ultimately derived from the Latin argentum "silver" and the feminine of the adjectival suffix -inus.

The first use of the name Argentina can be traced back to the first voyages made by the Spanish and Portuguese conquistadors to the Río de la Plata (meaning "River of Silver") in the first years of the 16th century.

He was killed by the Payaguás, returning to Santa Catarina (Brazil), but the Guaraní people who were part of the expedition took the silver objects back and spread the Sierra de Plata legend, and explained that it was possible to reach that fabulous land through the wide river to the south.

While the exact origin of the name "Rio de la Plata" is unknown, Italian explorer Sebastian Cabot's exploration between 1526 and 1529 is widely credited to have inspired such name due to his obtaining and collecting a variety of silver objects from the Guaraní tribes along the Paraguay river.

The Congress of Tucumán, seeking a higher Argentine integration, used instead the name "Provincias Unidas de Sud América" (United Provinces of South America).

Justo José de Urquiza deposed Rosas in the battle of Caseros and called for a Constituent Assembly that would write the Constitution of Argentina of 1853.