Spanish word

huaca

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈwaka/

Meaning

  • feminine nounshrine

Example

La huaca es un lugar sagrado para la comunidad.

The shrine is a sacred place for the community.

Illustration for huaca (shrine)

More examples

Vamos a visitar la huaca esta tarde.

We're going to visit the shrine this afternoon.

Core concept

Ancestor altar or sacred stone in Andean communities.

Common phrases

  • visitar la huaca

    visit the shrine

  • respetar la huaca

    respect the shrine

Similar words

santuario: Designated sacred place for community devotion, protection, and occasional pilgrimage.
templo: Religious building for regular worship, formal rites, and liturgical services.
lugar sagrado: Place regarded as holy within a faith and visited for prayer, ritual, or reverence.

Definition in Spanish

Palabra de las culturas andinas usada para nombrar un lugar o un objeto considerado sagrado y relacionado con rituales o el culto a los antepasados.

Word origin

Borrowed from Quechua wak'a, originally denoting an object or place for offerings and ancestor veneration, and incorporated into Spanish with both religious and archaeological senses.

Usage tips

  • Huaca is specific to indigenous Andean shrines or ruins and is not interchangeable with santuario or templo, which normally refer to Christian sites.

Opposites

  • lugar profanoprofane placenoun

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