Cochim
/koʊˈtʃɪm/noun
An obsolete English and Portuguese form of Kochi, a city and port in Kerala, India.
Did you know?Cochim appears in early European accounts of India, including writings connected with Portuguese maritime expansion and the spice trade.
Etymological Timeline
Before 16th Century
Malayalam
കൊച്ചി (Kocci)
“The indigenous Malayalam name for the region and settlement now called Kochi; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Cochim
“Portuguese form used for the Indian port during the period of Portuguese expansion in the Indian Ocean.”
16th Century
English
Cochin
“English adaptation of the Portuguese and local place-name forms.”
17th–19th Century
European usage
Cochim / Cochin
“Variant spellings found in maps, travel accounts, and colonial records.”
Modern English
English
Kochi
“The standard modern English form for the city, officially adopted in place of Cochin in common usage.”