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Why can the names of South American Indigenous languages and language families be confusing?

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distribution of aboriginal South American and circum-Caribbean cultural groups — South American Indian Distribution of aboriginal South American and circum-Caribbean cultural groups.

The naming of South American Indigenous languages and language families is often confusing due to a lack of standardized nomenclature and the influence of diverse historical factors. This complexity arises from several key issues:1

Multiple Origins of Names: Designations often stem from various sources, including European interpretations of group characteristics (e.g., the Portuguese term Coroado, meaning "tonsured"), names assigned by neighboring Indigenous groups (e.g., Puelche, meaning "people from the east"), or self-designations that may simply mean "people" (e.g., Carib).1
Generic and Overlapping Terms: The use of broad, generic terms—such as the Tupí word Tapuya, meaning "enemy," or the Andean term Chuncho—has led to different, unrelated languages being identified by the same name.1
Orthographic and Authorial Variation: Differences in European orthographic conventions and the tendency for various authors to select different component languages to define a family contribute to inconsistent naming practices.1
Lack of Standardization: Because there is no universally accepted taxonomy, researchers often make different choices when designating the same language or dialect, leading to a state of "great anarchy" in the field's nomenclature.1