List of Muisca toponyms

The Muisca Confederation

This list contains the toponyms (place names) in Muisca, the language of the Muisca who inhabited the Colombian Altiplano Cundiboyacense before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca in the 1530s. The name of the language of the Muisca is called Chibcha, Muisca or -in its own language- Muysccubun. Muisca means "man" or "person".

Most names of the Muisca have been kept by the Spanish colonists, some are slightly altered through time. A number of names refer to the farmfields (tá) or other geographical features of the region.^[1][2] The name of the department of Cundinamarca is an exception, it is inferred the name comes not from Chibcha, yet from Quechua, meaning condor's nest.^[3]

Chibcha language toponyms outside of the Muisca Confederation territories, such as the Guane, Lache, U'wa or Sutagao and Spanish language toponyms within the Muisca Confederation are not included.

Muisca toponyms

(Modern) name bold is capital	Department bold is capital	Ruler(s) bold is seat	Meaning(s) in Muysccubun bold is personal name	Note(s)	Map
Bogotá Bacatá BD Bacatá Muequetá	Cundinamarca	zipa	(Enclosure) outside of the farm fields	[2][4][5][6]
Tunja Hunza	Boyacá	zaque	Proud lord	[1]
Duitama Tundama Tundama Province	Boyacá	Tundama	Named after cacique Tundama	[1]
Sogamoso Sugamuxi Sugamuxi Province	Boyacá	iraca	Dwelling of the Sun	[1]
Arcabuco	Boyacá	cacique	Place of the intricate scrublands Place enclosed by the hills	[1]
Betéitiva	Boyacá	cacique	Chief of the mouth Named after cacique Betacín	[1][7]
Boavita	Boyacá	cacique	Point on the hill worshipping the Sun Gate of the Sun	[1][8]
Boyacá Boyacá Department	Boyacá	zaque	Region of the blankets Enclosure of the cacique	[1][9]
Busbanzá	Boyacá	iraca	Named after cacique Boazá	[1]
Cerinza	Boyacá	Tundama	My throat Named after cacique Cerinza	[1]
Chinavita	Boyacá	zaque	Our point or illuminated hill top	[1][10]
Chiquinquirá	Boyacá	cacique	Place of swamps covered with fog Also: Holy people, because of the Fúquene Lake ceremonies	[1]
Chíquiza	Boyacá	zaque	Only or alone, Chiqui means priest Hairy field	[1][11]
Chitagoto part of Paz de Río	Boyacá	Tundama	From cacique Chitagoto	[12]
Chitaraque	Boyacá	zaque	Our vigorous farmfields from before	[1][13]
Chivatá	Boyacá	zaque	Our outside farmfields	[1][14]
Chivor	Boyacá	cacique	Our farmfields - our mother Green and rich land	[1]
Ciénega	Boyacá	zaque	Place of water	[1]
Cómbita	Boyacá	cacique	Force of the summit Hand of the jaguar and wheel of life	[1][15]
Covarachía	Boyacá	cacique	Land of the Sun and the Moon Cave of the Moon	[1][16]
Cucaita	Boyacá	zaque	Seminary enclosure Shade of the farming fields	[1][17]
Cuítiva	Boyacá	iraca	Similarity to the chief	[1]
Firavitoba	Boyacá	iraca	Named after cacique Firavia	[1]
Gachantivá	Boyacá	zaque	Chief of the Gacha	[1][18]
Gámeza	Boyacá	iraca	Serf of the Sun	[1]
Garagoa	Boyacá	zaque	Behind the hill On the other side of the hill	[1]
Guateque Guatoc	Boyacá	cacique	Stream of the ravine Lord of the winds	[1][19]
Guayatá	Boyacá	cacique	Domain of the female cacique From Guaya (creek in Tenza) and "tá" (farmfields or land over there)	[1][20]
Iza	Boyacá	iraca	Place of healing	[1]
Lengupá Province Lengupá River	Boyacá	zaque	"Len": site; "Gua": of the river; "Paba": father or chief	[21]
Macanal	Boyacá	zaque	From: Macana: palm tree or garrote	[1][22]
Mongua	Boyacá	iraca	Bath on the hill Sunrise	[1]
Moniquirá	Boyacá	cacique	Place of bath	[1]
Motavita	Boyacá	zaque	Washing place to prepare for growing crops	[23]
Nobsa	Boyacá	Tundama	Decent bath of today	[1]
Oicatá	Boyacá	zaque	Domain of the priests Hailstoned farmlands	[1]
Pachavita	Boyacá	zaque	Peak of the man Proud chief	[1][24]
Paipa	Boyacá	Tundama	Named after the cacique of the Paipa people	[1]
Paya	Boyacá	cacique	People of hope	[1]
Pesca	Boyacá	iraca	Strong enclosure Domain of the fortress	[1]
Pisba	Boyacá	cacique	Honourable domain from before	[1]
Ramiriquí Ramaraquí	Boyacá	zaque	White earth Ca-Mi-Quiqui	[1]
Ráquira	Boyacá	cacique	Village of the pans	[1]
Saboyá	Boyacá	cacique	Taste for the blankets Named after cacique Saboyá	[1]
Sáchica	Boyacá	zaque	our present domain fortress or mansion of the sovereign	[1][25]
San Miguel de Sema	Boyacá	zaque	Named after the Sema tribe, part of the Muisca	[1][26]
Sativanorte	Boyacá	Tundama	Named after the cacique Sátiva	[1]
Sativasur	Boyacá	Tundama	Named after the cacique Sátiva	[1]
Siachoque	Boyacá	zaque	Land of the vigorous taste Place of good smells and strong and vigorous cultures	[1][27]
Soatá	Boyacá	Tundama	Farmfields of the Sun	[1]
Socotá	Boyacá	iraca Tundama	Good harvest Land of the Sun and farmfields	[1][28]
Somondoco	Boyacá	zaque	So = stone, Mon = bath, Co = support Named after cacique Somendoco or Sumindoco	[1][29]
Sora	Boyacá	zaque	Devil worshipper	[1]
Soracá	Boyacá	zaque	Ruling mansion of the sovereign	[1]
Sotaquirá	Boyacá	zaque	Town of the sovereign	[1]
Susacón	Boyacá	Tundama	Ally of the cacique Susa	[1]
Sutamarchán	Boyacá	zaque	Merchant of the sovereign Suta Marchán refers to 18th century encomendero Pedro Merchan de Velasco	[1][30]
Sutatenza	Boyacá	zaque	Cloud behind the mouth Descending to the house of the cacique	[1][31]
Tenza Tanazuca	Boyacá	cacique	Behind the mouth Going down at night	[1]
Tibaná	Boyacá	zaque	Named after Tibanaes "Tiba" means chief	[1][32]
Tibasosa	Boyacá	Tundama iraca	Chief of the domain	[1]
Tinjacá	Boyacá	zaque	Enclosure of the powerful lord	[1][33]
Tipacoque	Boyacá	zaque	Name of the hacienda of the Augustines Dependency of the zaque	[1][34]
Toca	Boyacá	iraca	Domain of the river	[1]
Togüí	Boyacá	zaque	River of the wife or house of the dog	[1][35]
Tópaga	Boyacá	cacique	Behind father river	[1]
Tota Lake Tota	Boyacá	iraca	Farmfields of the river	[1]
Turmequé	Boyacá	zaque	Vigorous chief	[1]
Tuta	Boyacá	zaque	Borrowed farmlands or Property of the Sun Named after the Tuta tribe	[1][36]
Tutazá	Boyacá	cacique	Named after cacique Tutazúa; son of the Sun	[1]
Úmbita	Boyacá	cacique	Your point, your summit, summit of the farmlands	[1]
Viracachá	Boyacá	zaque	Air of the lake or lord of the enclosure of the wind	[1][37]
Zetaquirá	Boyacá	zaque	Land of the snake or City of the snake	[1][38]
Bojacá	Cundinamarca	zipa	Purple enclosure	[3][39]
Cajicá	Cundinamarca	zipa	From ca and jica; "stone fortress" From the cacique Cajic	[40][41] [40]
Cáqueza	Cundinamarca	zipa	Region or enclosure without forest	[42]
Chía	Cundinamarca	zipa	Named after Chía, Moon goddess	[43]
Choachí	Cundinamarca	zipa	Derived from Chi-gua-chí; our mountain of the Moon	[44]
Chocontá	Cundinamarca	zipa	Farmlands of the good ally	[45]
Cogua	Cundinamarca	zipa	Support of the hill	[46]
Cota	Cundinamarca	zipa	From personal name Gota or cota; "curl"	[47]
Cucunubá	Cundinamarca	zipa	Similarity to a face	[3][48]
Facatativá	Cundinamarca	zipa	Strong enclosure at the end of the plains	[49]
Funza	Cundinamarca	zipa	Powerful lord	[50]
Fúquene Lake Fúquene	Cundinamarca	zipa zaque	From fú and quyny; bed of the fox Named after the god Fu; bed of Fu	[51]
Gachancipá	Cundinamarca	zipa	Pottery of the zipa	[52]
Guachetá	Cundinamarca	cacique	Farmlands of the hill	[53]
Guasca	Cundinamarca	zipa	From guâ and shucâ; skirt of the mountain range	[54]
Guatavita Lake Guatavita	Cundinamarca	cacique	End of the farmlands	[55]
Lenguazaque	Cundinamarca	zaque	End of the reign of the zaque	[56]
Machetá	Cundinamarca	zaque	Your honourable farmfields	[57][58]
Manta	Cundinamarca	cacique	Your farmfields	[59]
Nemocón	Cundinamarca	zipa	From Enemocón; sadness of the warrior Named after Nemequene	[59][60]
Pacho Guataque or Gotaque	Cundinamarca	zipa	Good father "Gua" = mountain, "tha"; strong and "que"; elevated; strong elevated mountain	[59][61]
Pasca	Cundinamarca	zipa	Father's enclosure	[62]
Quetame	Cundinamarca	cacique	Our farmfields of the mountain	[63]
Sesquilé	Cundinamarca	zipa	Hot water	[64]
Sibaté	Cundinamarca	zipa	Leak of the lake	[65]
Simijaca	Cundinamarca	zaque (<1490) zipa (1490-1537)	Blue circle or nose of the white owl	[66]
Soacha Soacha Province	Cundinamarca	zipa	Súa; Sun god Sué and chá; Man of the Sun	[67]
Sopó	Cundinamarca	zipa	Rock or strong hill	[68]
Subachoque	Cundinamarca	zipa	Work of the Sun Farmfields of the front	[69]
Suesca	Cundinamarca	zipa	Rock of the birds or Tail of the macaw	[70][71]
Susa	Cundinamarca	zaque (<1490) zipa (1490-1537)	White reed or soft reed	[72]
Sutatausa	Cundinamarca	zipa	Small tribute	[73]
Tabio	Cundinamarca	zipa	Mouth [of the river]	[74]
Tausa	Cundinamarca	zipa	Tribute	[75]
Tena Zuca	Cundinamarca	zipa	Place of rest for the zipa	[76]
Tenjo	Cundinamarca	zipa	In the mouth	[77]
Tequendama Tequendama Falls Tequendama Province	Cundinamarca	zipa	He who precipitates downward	[78]
Tibacuy	Cundinamarca	zipa Panche	Official chief	[79]
Tibiritá	Cundinamarca	zaque
Tocancipá	Cundinamarca	zipa	Valley of the joys of the zipa	[80]
Ubalá	Cundinamarca	cacique	Place on the hillside or At the foot of the hillside	[81]
Ubaque	Cundinamarca	cacique	From Ybaque; blooding Eucalyptus tree or from Ebaque	[82]
Ubaté Ubaté Province Ubaté River	Cundinamarca	zaque (<1490) zipa (1490-1537)	Sower of the mouth or blooded land	[83]
Une	Cundinamarca	cacique	Drop it or mud	[84][85]
Zipaquirá	Cundinamarca	zipa	City of our father	[37]
Charalá	Santander	cacique	Named after the Guane cacique Chalala	[86]
Chipatá	Santander	cacique	"chi" = our, "pa" = father, "tá" = farmland Named after cacique Chipatá	[87][88]
Onzaga	Santander	Tundama	From cacique Hunzaá	[89]
Bosa	Cundinamarca	zipa	Enclosure of the one who guards and defends the cornfields	[90]
Engativá	Cundinamarca	zipa	From Ingativá; Cacique of the land of the Sun Engue-tivá; captain of the delicious [people]	[90]
Fontibón	Cundinamarca	zipa	Powerful chief	[90][91]
Suba	Cundinamarca	zipa	From "sua"; Sun and "sie"; water From "uba"; fruit or flower and "sua"; Sun; Flower of the Sun	[90][92]
Teusaquillo	Cundinamarca	zipa	From Teusacá; borrowed enclosure	[90]
Tunjuelito	Cundinamarca	zipa	Diminutive form of tunjo; anthropomorph made of gold	[93]
Usaquén	Cundinamarca	zipa	From cacique Usaque; Usaque means "under the pole"	[94]
Usme	Cundinamarca	zipa	Nest of love	[95]
El Chicó	Cundinamarca	zipa	Chicó comes from chicú; "our ally"	[96]
Techo	Cundinamarca	zipa	From cacique Techitina	[97]
Chingaza	Cundinamarca	zipa Guayupe	Middle of the width	[98]
Siecha Lakes	Cundinamarca	zipa	House of the Lord	[99]
Tibabuyes	Cundinamarca	zipa	Land of the farmers	[100]
Maiporé	Cundinamarca	zipa	Welcome	[101]

See also

List of flora and fauna named after the Muisca

Muisca Confederation

Muysccubun

References

1. (Spanish) Etymology Municipalities Boyacá - Excelsio.net
2. (Spanish) ta - Muysccubun Dictionary
3. (Spanish) Etymology municipalities Cundinamarca - El Tiempo
4. (Spanish) Etymology Bacatá - Banco de la República
5. (Spanish) bac - Muysccubun Dictionary
6. BD Bacatá at Emporis.com
7. (Spanish) Official website Betéitiva
8. (Spanish) Official website Boavita
9. (Spanish) Official website Boyacá
10. (Spanish) Official website Chinavita
11. (Spanish) Official website Chíquiza
12. (Spanish) Etymology Chitagoto
13. (Spanish) Official website Chitaraque
14. (Spanish) Official website Chivatá
15. (Spanish) Official website Cómbita
16. (Spanish) Official website Covarachía
17. (Spanish) Official website Cucaita
18. (Spanish) Official website Gachantivá
19. (Spanish) Official website Guateque
20. (Spanish) Official website Guayatá
21. (Spanish) Etymology Lengupá
22. (Spanish) Official website Macanal
23. Ocampo López, 2001, p.84
24. (Spanish) Official website Pachavita
25. (Spanish) Official website Sáchica
26. (Spanish) Official website San Miguel de Sema
27. (Spanish) Official website Siachoque
28. (Spanish) Etymology Socotá
29. (Spanish) Official website Somondoco
30. (Spanish) Official website Sutamarchán
31. (Spanish) Official website Sutatenza
32. (Spanish) Official website Tibaná
33. (Spanish) Official website Tinjacá
34. (Spanish) Official website Tipacoque
35. (Spanish) Official website Togüí
36. (Spanish) Official website Tuta
37. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1126
38. (Spanish) Official website Zetaquirá
39. (Spanish) Official website Bojacá
40. Román, 2008, p.288
41. (Spanish) History and etymology of Cajicá
42. (Spanish) Official website Cáqueza
43. (Spanish) Etymology Chía
44. (Spanish) Official website Choachí
45. (Spanish) Official website Chocontá
46. (Spanish) Official website Cogua
47. (Spanish) Article Muiscuismos on es:wiki
48. (Spanish) Official website Cucunubá
49. (Spanish) Official website Facatativá
50. (Spanish) Official website Funza
51. (Spanish) Official website Fúquene
52. (Spanish) Official website Gachancipá
53. (Spanish) Official website Guachetá
54. (Spanish) Official website Guasca
55. (Spanish) Official website Guatavita
56. (Spanish) Official website Lenguazaque
57. (Spanish) Official website Machetá
58. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1120
59. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1121
60. (Spanish) Official website Nemocón
61. (Spanish) Official website Pacho
62. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1122
63. (Spanish) Official website Quetame
64. (Spanish) Official website Sesquilé
65. (Spanish) Official website Sibaté
66. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1123
67. (Spanish) Official website Soacha
68. (Spanish) Official website Sopó
69. (Spanish) Official website Subachoque
70. (Spanish) Official website Suesca
71. (Spanish) Etymology Suesca - Banco de la República
72. (Spanish) Official website Susa
73. (Spanish) Official website Sutatausa
74. (Spanish) Official website Tabio
75. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1124
76. (Spanish) Official website Tena
77. (Spanish) Official website Tenjo
78. (Spanish) Etymology Tequendama
79. (Spanish) Official website Tibacuy
80. (Spanish) Official website Tocancipá
81. (Spanish) Etymology Ubalá
82. (Spanish) Official website Ubaque
83. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1125
84. (Spanish) Official website Une
85. (Spanish) une - Muysccubun Dictionary
86. (Spanish) Official website Charalá
87. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1118
88. (Spanish) Official website Chipatá
89. (Spanish) Official website Onzaga
90. (Spanish) Etymology localities of Bogotá
91. Espejo Olaya, 1999, p.1119
92. (Spanish) Etymology Suba
93. (Spanish) Etymology Tunjuelito
94. (Spanish) Etymology Usaquén
95. (Spanish) Etymology Usme - El Tiempo
96. (Spanish) Etymology El Chicó
97. (Spanish) Etymology Techo
98. (Spanish) Etymology Chingaza
99. (Spanish) Etymology of the Siecha Lakes
100. (Spanish) Etymology Tibabuyes
101. (Spanish) Etymology Maiporé

Bibliography

• Espejo Olaya, Maria Bernarda. 1999. Notas sobre toponimia en algunas coplas colombianas, 1102-1157. Tomo LIV, Núm. 3.; Accessed 2016-07-08.
• Ocampo López, Javier. 2001. El imaginario en Boyacá: la identidad del pueblo boyacense y su proyección en la simbología regional (Volume 2: El imaginario colectivo en los pensadores boyacenses), 1-157. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas.
• Román, Ángel Luís. 2008. Necesidades fundacionales e historia indígena imaginada de Cajicá: una revisión de esta mirada a través de fuentes primarias (1593-1638) - Foundational needs and imagined indigenous history of Cajicá: a review of this look using primary sources (1593-1638), 276-313. Universidad de los Andes. Accessed 2016-07-08.