Qucha

Qucha is a Quechua word meaning lake. In Quechua, qucha refers to a natural lake or large body of fresh water and is a common element in Andean toponymy. The word is widely used across regions historically inhabited by Quechua-speaking communities; in Peru and Bolivia it appears in many lakes and in village or district names. The spelling qucha is sometimes rendered as cocha in Spanish-language texts, reflecting historical sound correspondences; other orthographies include kucha in some dialects.

In linguistic and geographic works about the Andes, qucha is cited as a productive toponym component; compounds often describe a feature or location, such as a lake named with a qualifying descriptor, or a settlement associated with a lake. Because Quechua varieties differ across regions, the exact pronunciation and spelling can vary, but the basic meaning remains "lake." The toponymic use extends into several modern countries and is encountered in both natural feature names and place designations, sometimes preserved in indigenous or colonial-era maps.