Cali
/ˈkɑːli/noun
A city in southwestern Colombia, officially known as Santiago de Cali.
Did you know?The name’s pre-Hispanic origin remains uncertain, and proposed Indigenous explanations are debated rather than securely established.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Indigenous Colombian languages
Cali
“A place-name used in the region before Spanish colonization; its original meaning is uncertain.”
1536
Spanish
Santiago de Cali
“The settlement founded by Sebastián de Belalcázar and formally named for Saint James, or Santiago.”
16th Century
Colonial Spanish
Cali
“The shortened form used for the growing Spanish colonial settlement.”
19th Century
Spanish
Cali
“A major city and administrative center in southwestern Colombia.”
Modern English
English
Cali
“The conventional English name for the Colombian city.”