Machu Picchu
13
6.3
- proper noun
- /ˈmɑːtʃu ˈpikʧu/
- But more significantly, Machu Picchu is linked to Andean notions of cosmology and sacred geography.
- heights of Machu Picchu
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Watch on YouTubeAnd now they think the same thing happened in Peru at places like Oyante Tambu, Machu Picchu, the Kori Kancha, things like that.
- And now they think the same thing happened in Peru at places like Oyante Tambu, Machu Picchu, the Kori Kancha, things like that.
- So there is the sun gate that as soon as you come across and you see the sun, then you're looking down on to Machu Picchu.
- But other places I've been and said, oh, I have to come back is Machu Picchu in Peru, and I've shot all up and down the Nile in each other.
- You know, what else is interesting is all of these wonders of the world, The pyramid, Stonehenge, Machu Picchu is a Easter Island.
Examples
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Instead, get up early (crack of dawn) on day three and hike all the way to Machu Picchu.
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How many of you have been to Machu Picchu?
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When did you go to Machu Picchu?
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How to get there: Buy tickets to Machu Picchu in advance.
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While Machu Picchu is built on a ridge, getting there is not really a "climb."
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If you're just looking to see Machu Picchu, you don't necessarily have to hike, as there are also bus and train options.
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We traveled to Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titikaka.
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While that may sound torturous, being the only group at Machu Picchu and having the awe-inspiring site all to ourselves was an unreal experience.
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On my way north, twenty years ago, I stopped at the ruins of Machu Picchu, an Inca city of refuge in the Andes, and I stood alone there, high up in the sunset, watching the llamas come down into the plaza below me and settle in a circle for the night.
Academic text (1990) -
The highlight of our trip was visiting the ancient Inca fortress city of Machu Picchu in the Andes Mountains.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Machu + Picchu
Machu Picchu is a proper name of Quechua origin and the listed constituents have no English dictionary meanings here, so a B1 learner who 'knows' the constituent tokens as given would not be able to derive the specific historical/place meaning. Even if the Quechua roots were known (roughly 'old' + 'mountain/peak'), that would at best suggest a geographic feature and would not predict the full sense of an ancient Inca city/fortress, so the expression is idiomatic/opaque for learners.
Etymology
Machu Picchu may come from the local Quechua language: machu means 'old' and pikchu means 'peak' or 'mountain'. The ruins sit on a high, rocky peak, so the name paints the picture of an 'old mountain' and explains why the ancient city is called Machu Picchu.