Muysca
/ˈmwiːskə/noun
An alternative spelling of Muisca, referring to an Indigenous people of the Colombian Andes and their formerly spoken language.
Did you know?The Muisca are famous for the El Dorado tradition, but the name “Muisca” was sometimes distorted by Spanish writers into “mosca,” meaning “fly,” creating a misleading association.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial period
Muysca
muysca
“A self-designation generally interpreted as “person” or “people”; the exact historical semantics remain debated.”
16th Century
Spanish
muisca
“Spanish colonial rendering of the Indigenous name for the people of the Bogotá highlands.”
16th Century
Spanish
mosca
“An alternative colonial spelling or reinterpretation, literally “fly,” probably influenced by Spanish orthography and association.”
17th–19th Centuries
English/Spanish
Muisca
“The conventional scholarly name for the Indigenous people and their language.”
Modern English
English
Muysca
“A less common scholarly or revival spelling preserving the form associated with the Indigenous self-designation.”