Zipa
/ˈziːpə/noun
A title for the ruler of the southern Muisca confederation in pre-Columbian Colombia.
Did you know?The Zipa governed the southern Muisca realm from Bacatá, while the northern Muisca confederation was ruled by a rival title, the Zaque.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Muisca
zipa
“Title of the ruler of the southern Muisca confederation”
16th Century
Spanish
zipa
“Indigenous royal title recorded by Spanish chroniclers in the New Kingdom of Granada”
16th Century
Spanish
Bacatá
“Seat or territory associated with the Zipa, later connected with the name Bogotá”
19th Century
English
Zipa
“A historical title used in English-language accounts of the Muisca”
Modern English
English
Zipa
“The ruler or royal title of the southern Muisca polity”