Bogotá
/ˌboʊɡəˈtɑː/noun
The capital and largest city of Colombia, located on a high plateau in the Andes.
Did you know?Bogotá derives from the Muisca name Bacatá, but scholars caution that popular translations such as “enclosure outside the farm fields” are interpretations rather than certain meanings.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Muisca
Bacatá
“An Indigenous place-name associated with the Bogotá savanna and the Muisca political region; its exact meaning is uncertain.”
16th Century
Spanish
Bogotá
“Spanish form adopted for the Indigenous name during the conquest and colonization of the region.”
1538
Spanish
Santa Fe de Bogotá
“Name used for the Spanish colonial settlement founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada.”
17th–19th Centuries
Spanish
Santafé de Bogotá
“Established colonial and later republican form of the city’s name.”
20th Century
Spanish
Bogotá
“Official short form restored for Colombia’s capital.”
Modern English
English
Bogotá
“The internationally used English name for Colombia’s capital city.”