Chibcha
/ˈtʃɪb.tʃə/noun
Chibcha is a historical English name for the Muisca people of the Colombian Andes and for their language.
Did you know?The Muisca—often called Chibcha in older sources—performed the ritual that inspired the legend of El Dorado, involving a ruler covered in gold dust and offerings cast into Lake Guatavita.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Muysca
Muysca
“The people’s own name for themselves; also the name of their language and culture.”
16th Century
Spanish
chibcha
“A Spanish designation for the Muisca people and their language; its precise indigenous derivation is uncertain.”
17th Century
Spanish
Chibcha
“A label used in colonial descriptions of the Muisca language and civilization.”
19th Century
English
Chibcha
“An English ethnographic and linguistic term for the Muisca and their language.”
Modern English
English
Chibcha
“A historical term, increasingly replaced by Muisca for the people and Muysca for their language.”