The Spanish word 'charque' comes from 'charqui', which itself was borrowed from the Quechua word 'ch'arki', meaning 'dried meat'. This is one of many words that Spanish acquired from indigenous South American languages during the colonial period. The word refers to a traditional method of preserving meat through drying, similar to what English speakers might know as jerky.

The variant form 'charqui' is still used in Spanish and might be more commonly encountered in some regions. Both 'charque' and 'charqui' refer to the same concept of dried, salted meat.

While not directly related through common etymology, it's interesting to note that the English word 'jerky' is also believed to have originated from the same Quechua word 'ch'arki', though it entered English through Spanish 'charqui'. This connection makes sense given that both words refer to dried, preserved meat products.