FAQ

How did the term ‘Coachella’ come about?

Coachella (pronounced koe-CHEL-uh) refers to both a city and a valley in southern California. The Coachella Valley is located in the Colorado Desert between the Salton Sea and the San Bernardino Mountains and is home to the city of Coachella as well as numerous cities and villages, including many resort towns, the most notable of which being Palm Springs. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, held annually in Indio, has grown in popularity, resulting in an increase in Coachella-related dictionary searches.

While comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s “Lie Witness News” stated in 2013 that Coachella is derived from an American Native name for “stupid white dude,” the claim was, predictably, false. Coachella comes from a misspelling of the valley’s old name, Conchilla, from a Spanish word meaning “little shell” that referenced the fossil shells found in the area.

At a while, the valley was also known as Cahuilla, after the Cahuilla Indians who resided there.

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

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