lorcha

From Portuguese lorcha, of unclear origin; see the Portuguese entry for more.

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈlɔɹʃə/,^[1] /ˈlɔɹt͡ʃə/^[2]
• (UK) /ˈlɔːtʃə/^[3]

lorcha (plural lorchas)

1. (nautical) A kind of light vessel used on the coast of China, having the hull built on a European model, and the rigging like that of a Chinese junk.
   • 1901, Charles S. Leavenworth, The Arrow War with China:

     At the same time, the fact must not be lost sight of, that the primary cause of the war was the affair on the lorcha "Arrow."

• choral, orchal

• lorche, lorcho

Unknown. Perhaps from or related to French loche.

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɔɾt͡ʃɐ]

lorcha f (plural lorchas)

1. (zoology) blenny
2. (zoology) gudgeon, goby

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “lorcha”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “lorcha”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “lorcha”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Uncertain. An early use is in Fernão Mendes Pinto's 1614 Peregrinação.^[1] Possibly a corruption of Chinese 龍船 / 龙船 (lóngchuán)^[2][1] (in Cantonese: /lʊŋ²¹ ʃyːn²¹/), although the phonological and semantic differences are significant. Alternatively, perhaps related in some way to lancha.^[3]

• Hyphenation: lor‧cha

lorcha f (plural lorchas)

1. (nautical) lorcha