Placenames
The Gecko

The Peru Trip

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Place names can take various forms:
The Spanish name is usually a phonetic spelling of the Quechua. The following letters seem to be freely interchangeable:
[C, CC, K, Q]
[Hu, W]
[S,Z]
A place name may be written as one word, or split into component parts.
I have used what seemed to be the most popular spellings.

Some places were named by Bingham or Fejos (or both) after rediscovery.
Quechua Name
Spanish Name
Translation
Km82 82Km along Cusco - Machu Picchu railway
Pata Llaqta
Patallaqta... 		Patallacta
(not Llactapata) 		High Town
(Pata = High, Llaqta = Town)
(Llactapata is SW of Picchu, off the trail.)
Llulluchapampa Llullucha Plain
(Pampa=plain, Llullucha is the river)
Abra de Huarmihuanusca Dead Woman Pass
(Abra=pass, Huarmi=lady, Huanusca=dead)
Huayllabamba Waylabamba Fertile Place
(Huaylla = Good Pasture, Bamba = Place)
Runku Raccay
Runkuraqay... 		Runcuraccay Pile of Ruins
(Runku=pile, Raccay=ruins)
Sayac Marca (Fejos)
Sayacmarqa... 		Cedrobamba (Bingham)
(Spanish/Quechua) 		Sayacmarca: Inaccessible Village
(Sayac=Steep, Marca=Village)
Cedrobamba: Cedar Place (Sp/Qu)
Phuyupatamarca (Fejos)
Puyu Pata Marqa 		Cloud-Level Village
(Phuyu=cloud, Pata=high, Marca=Village)
Intipata (Fejos) Sunny Slope
(Inti=Sun, Pata=High (!))
Huinay Huayna Wiñaywayna Forever Young
(Huinay=Forever, Huayna=Small/Young)
Intipunku Gateway of the Sun
(Inti=Sun, Punku=Gate/Door)
Machu Picchu (Bingham)
(Also the name of its hill) 		Old/Big Picchu
(Machu=Old/Big, Picchu is the region)
Huayna Picchu
Huaynapicchu 		Small Picchu (it's higher than Machu Picchu!)
(Huayna=Small/Young, Picchu is the region)
© Mike Anderson 2007
Lima Nasca Arequipa Puno Cusco Machu Picchu Lima to Nasca Nasca to Arequipa Arequipa to Puno Puno to Cusco Inca Trail big pic Start trip big pic