Quechuan languages

Quechua, also called Runa simi meaning "people's language," is an indigenous language family that started in central Peru and later spread across the Andes mountains. It comes from a common older language called "Proto-Quechua" and is the most widely spoken language family from before European contact in the Americas. As of around 2004, about 8 to 10 million people spoke Quechua, though more recent data shows just under 7 million speakers.

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

History

Main article: Classical Quechua

Quechua likely began in central Peru and may have been used by ancient cultures like the Chavín and Wari. Before the Inca Empire grew, many people in the Andes already spoke different forms of Quechua. The Incas helped make Quechua the official language of their empire.

After the Spanish conquest of Peru, Quechua kept being used by local people and even by Spanish rulers and priests. However, later on, 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 became the first country to recognize Quechua as an official language in 1975. Later, Ecuador and Bolivia also gave Quechua official status in their constitutions. Despite this, Quechua mainly remains a spoken language, with few books or written materials available.

In recent years, schools in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador have started teaching Quechua along with Spanish. Many people still learn only Spanish, hoping it will help them get ahead. Quechua and Spanish mix a lot, with many words from each language used in the other. For example, in Bolivia, Quechua words like wawa (infant) are common even among Spanish speakers.

Number of speakers

It is hard to know exactly how many people speak Quechua. Estimates vary widely. Some sources say there are about 10 million speakers, while others suggest 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)

There are also many Quechua speakers living 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). Even though they are related, 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, though some local varieties are harder to follow. 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, such as piru meaning "but," bwenu meaning "good," and iskwila meaning "school." Many Quechua words have also found their way into English and French through Spanish. Examples include coca, condor, guano, jerky, llama, and poncho.

In Bolivia, Quechua words are commonly used even by people who don’t speak the language. Words like wawa for "baby" and misi for "cat" are part of everyday speech. The influence of Quechua can also be seen in the way 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 special strong sounds called glottalized consonants, and some also have breathed-out sounds called aspirated consonants. These special sounds help make each type of Quechua unique.

In most Quechua dialects, the stress or emphasis in words is placed on the second-to-last syllable. However, 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 has been written using the Roman alphabet since the Spanish conquest of Peru. For a long time, it used a system based on Spanish spelling. In 1975, Peru created a new way to write Quechua that better matches how the language sounds. This system uses different letters for sounds that were previously written the same way.

Today, there is still debate in Peru about which writing system to use. Some people prefer the old Spanish-based system, while others support the newer system that better fits Quechua sounds. Writers also sometimes change Spanish words to fit Quechua spelling and sometimes leave them as they are.

Grammar

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

Quechua has special ways to show who is talking and who is being talked about, as well as 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 texts written after European explorers arrived in South America. These texts were written in Latin letters but often told stories from before that time. One famous book is the Huarochirí Manuscript, which shares myths and religious beliefs from the Huarochirí valley. It is sometimes called "an Andean Bible" and is similar to the Popol Vuh from nearby regions.

During the years after European contact, many dramas and poems were written in Quechua. Some plays told stories about the Inca leaders, while others focused on Christian topics. Important writers like Juan de Espinosa Medrano and Juan Wallparrimachi created works in this language. Later, in the 20th century, more stories and books were written in Quechua, including translations of famous works like Don Quixote by Demetrio Túpac Yupanqui.

Media

A news broadcast in Quechua called "Ñuqanchik," meaning "all of us," began in Peru in 2016.

Many musicians from the Andes write and sing in Quechua, with popular groups including 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.