Once upon a time, a Spanish man lost his way home. It was only human to panic. He found himself not far from a native who was clearing a tree he intended to chop down. Still dazed, the young Spanish staggered toward the native. “Hola, indio! Qué lugar es este?” (Hey, Indian! What place is this?)

When the native saw the desperation on the face of the young Spanish, he too felt a sense of panic and fumbled for words to respond. Sensing the urgency, the young Spanish pointed insistently.

Since the native couldn’t understand the Spanish words, he pondered whether the young man wanted to know the name of the place or the tree he was pointing at. Avoiding the Spanish man’s gaze, a squeak escaped from his lips, though it was loud enough for the Spaniard to decipher as “PAKAK.”

From that moment on, the young Spanish referred to the place as “PACAC,” meaning a tree with thick leaves that grew abundantly in the community. Since there were only a few inhabitants, the young Spanish added “PEQUEÑO,” meaning small place. And from that moment, the place was called and known as “PACAC PEQUENIO.”