Kochi
/ˈkoʊtʃi/noun
A major port city in Kerala, India, historically known in English as Cochin.
Did you know?The name’s origin is disputed: proposed explanations connect it with Malayalam terms, Chinese traders, or the Portuguese-era form “Cochin,” but no single theory is universally accepted.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 16th Century
Malayalam
കൊച്ചി (Kocci/Kochi)
“The local Malayalam name for the port and surrounding settlement; its deeper origin remains uncertain.”
14th–15th Century
Foreign travel accounts
Cochin
“A recorded European rendering of the South Indian port’s name.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Cochim
“Portuguese form used after Portuguese navigators established contact with the Malabar Coast.”
17th–19th Century
Dutch/English
Cochin
“The conventional colonial-era European name for the city and princely state.”
20th Century
English/Malayalam
Kochi
“The modern official English form, restored from the Malayalam name.”