'Andean' originates from the Andes, a mountain range in South America, specifically from the Spanish word 'Andes', which referred to the mountain range.

'Andes' transformed from the Quechua word 'anti', referring to the east or the highlands, and eventually became the modern English word 'Andean'.

Initially, it meant 'pertaining to the Andes mountains', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.