Cuzco
/ˈkuːskoʊ/noun
The historic capital city of the Inca Empire in southeastern Peru.
Did you know?Cuzco is the Spanish spelling of an Indigenous Quechua place name, and its exact original form is debated, which is common for names recorded after conquest.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian era
Quechua
Qusqu / Qosqo
“The name of the Inca capital, likely referring to the site’s original Indigenous place-name”
16th Century
Spanish
Cuzco
“Spanish colonial spelling of the Inca capital’s name”
Modern English
English
Cuzco
“The historic city in Peru, also commonly spelled Cusco”
Modern Spanish
Spanish
Cusco
“Standard modern spelling of the city name in Peru”