Quechuan languages

Quechua, also called Runa simi meaning "people's language," is an indigenous language family that began in central Peru and later spread across the Andes mountains. It comes from a common older language called "Proto-Quechua". Many people speak Quechua.

Quechua became very popular long before the Incas came to power. It was the main language used throughout the Inca Empire. Even after the Spanish arrived, people were allowed to keep using Quechua. This is why Quechua is still very common today. In many parts of Peru, it is the most spoken language. In Ecuador, the Kichwa version of Quechua is the second most spoken language after Spanish.

History

Main article: Classical Quechua

Quechua probably started in central Peru. It may have been spoken by ancient cultures like the Chavín and Wari. Before the Inca Empire became big, many people in the Andes already spoke different forms of Quechua. The Incas made Quechua the official language of their empire.

After the Spanish conquest of Peru, Quechua continued to be used by local people and even by Spanish rulers and priests. Later, colonial leaders stopped using Quechua in official places. Even though its popularity went down, today about 7 million people still speak Quechua across South America. Recently, more people are working to keep the language alive, with classes in universities and special training for helpers in different jobs.

Current status

Peru was the first country to name Quechua an official language in 1975. Later, Ecuador and Bolivia also made Quechua an official language. Even so, Quechua is mostly a spoken language, with only a few books or written materials.

Schools in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador now teach Quechua along with Spanish. Some people only learn Spanish, thinking it will help them more. Quechua and Spanish often mix, with words from each language used in the other. For example, in Bolivia, Quechua words like wawa (infant) are used even by Spanish speakers.

Number of speakers

It is hard to know exactly how many people speak Quechua. Numbers vary a lot. Some say there are about 10 million speakers, while others say fewer. The number of speakers in different countries includes:

• Argentina: 900,000 (1971)
• Bolivia: 2,100,000 (2001 census); 2,800,000 South Bolivian (1987)
• Chile: few, if any; 8,200 in ethnic group (2002 census)
• Colombia: 4,402 to 16,000
• Ecuador: 2,300,000 (Adelaar 1991)
• Peru: 3,800,000 (2017 census); 3,500,000 to 4,400,000 (Adelaar 2000)

Many Quechua speakers also live outside their home countries.

Classification

Quechua has different varieties spoken in the central Peruvian highlands and in places like Ecuador, southern Peru, and Bolivia. These varieties are grouped into two main types: Quechua I (central) and Quechua II (peripheral). Speakers from different regions might not always understand each other well.

Quechua II has further divisions, including the northern varieties known as Kichwa in Ecuador and more conservative southern varieties around Cusco. Despite differences, speakers from the same region can usually understand each other. The many different forms of Quechua mean it is considered a language family rather than a single language.

Vocabulary

Quechua has taken in many words from Spanish. For example, piru means "but," and bwenu means "good." Many Quechua words are also used in English and French. Words like coca, condor, guano, jerky, llama, and poncho come from Quechua.

In Bolivia, Quechua words are used a lot, even by people who don’t speak the language. Words like wawa for "baby" and misi for "cat" are used every day. The influence of Quechua can be seen in how some Spanish words are changed in Bolivia.

Phonology

Quechua languages have special sounds called consonants that change how words sound. In some types of Quechua, like Cusco Quechua, there are strong sounds called glottalized consonants, and some have breathed-out sounds called aspirated consonants. These sounds help make each type of Quechua unique.

In most Quechua dialects, the stress in words is on the second-to-last syllable. But in some varieties like Chachapoyas Quechua, the stress starts at the beginning of the word.

Orthography

Main article: Quechua alphabet

Further information: Southern Quechua § Standard Quechua

Quechua is written with the Roman alphabet. This started after the Spanish conquest of Peru. For many years, it used Spanish spelling rules. In 1975, Peru made a new way to write Quechua. This new way matches the sounds of Quechua better. It uses different letters for sounds that used to be written the same.

Today, people in Peru still talk about which writing system to use. Some like the old Spanish-based way. Others prefer the new system that fits Quechua sounds better. Sometimes, writers change Spanish words to fit Quechua spelling, and sometimes they leave the words as they are.

Grammar

Quechua is an agglutinating language. This means words are made by adding small parts called suffixes to a basic root. These suffixes change the meaning of the word in many ways. In Quechua, sentences usually follow the order of subject, object, then verb.

Quechua has special ways to show who is talking and who is being talked about. It also shows how the speaker knows something — like if they saw it, heard it, or are guessing. Adjectives always come before the nouns they describe. Numbers have specific words for each value, and there are different ways to say things like "first" or "second."

Literature

Quechua literature includes many books written after European explorers came to South America. These books use Latin letters but share stories from long ago. One famous book is the Huarochirí Manuscript. It tells myths and beliefs from the Huarochirí valley. People sometimes call it "an Andean Bible", like the Popol Vuh from nearby areas.

After Europeans arrived, many plays and poems were written in Quechua. Some plays were about Inca leaders, and others were about Christian ideas. Important writers like Juan de Espinosa Medrano and Juan Wallparrimachi wrote in Quechua. In the 20th century, more books were written in Quechua, including translations of famous works like Don Quixote by Demetrio Túpac Yupanqui.

Media

A news broadcast in Quechua named "Ñuqanchik," meaning "all of us," started in Peru in 2016.

Many musicians from the Andes write and sing in Quechua. Popular groups include Los Kjarkas, J'acha Mallku, Savia Andina, and Uchpa. The 1961 Peruvian film Kukuli was the first film spoken in Quechua. The character Greedo in the film Star Wars speaks a simplified form of Quechua. The game Overwatch 2 includes a Peruvian character, Illari, with some voice lines in Quechua. The show Pluribus features a Peruvian character, Kusimayu, who speaks Quechua in the Season 1 finale.