The walaycho (hispanicized spelling hualaycho, also walaychu) is a small lute-like fretted stringed instrument, the smallest member of the charango family. It is the same or similar to the maulincho. The walaychu along with the charango and its variations were born in the 16th century among the Ayacucho regions Peru and Potosí located in Bolivia.^[1][2][3][4]

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Quick Facts String instrument, Other names ...

Walaycho

A walaycho
String instrument
Other names	Hualaycho, walaychu
Classification	Necked bowl lutes String instruments
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	321.321-5 (Composite chordophone sounded by the bare fingers)
Developed	Early 18th century (perhaps earlier)
Related instruments
Charango, Chillador, Ronroco

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The word walaychu is Quechua meaning 'a lazy man, someone who always lays on the ground everywhere. In addition to this, an evil man'. It's a colloquial word in Viceroyalty of Peru for a small charango variant. ^{[citation needed]}