Why did they call the Bahamas Bahamas?

The name 'Bahamas' is believed to have originated from the Lucayan Taino word 'bahama', which means 'large upper middle island' or 'large sea'. The Lucayan Taino were the indigenous people of the Bahamas when Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. The name 'Bimini' is also derived from the Lucayan Taino word 'bemini', which means 'two islands'.