Quechua

Quechua was the language of the Incas, though it originated prior to the rise of the Inca Empire in the fifteenth century. The people of the Chincha nation were likely the primary source of the particular dialect of Southern Quechua that was instituted as the official language of the Incan state. The Chincha were located on the coast, enjoying vast maritime wealth, a critical component for the promotion of pan-Andean trade. When the Inca subjugated the Chincha, they adopted their language and then spread it throughout large swaths of South America as they conquered other tribes and assimilated various ethnic groups. Quechua was co-opted by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, and was used for a time by Spanish priests in their proselytizing missions, even expanding its usage beyond the realm of the Inca.

Quechua facilitates the expression of affection in interpersonal relations. It is also a living language that aids in literary creations from ancestral voices being retained in the collective memory. Quechua shares about one-third of its vocabulary with Aymara, and its words often substitute for Spanish locutions, even in parts of Peru and Bolivia where Spanish is almost exclusively spoken.

The Quechua language is certainly extant, despite lacking a written form until after the Spanish conquest. Scholars typically categorize a handful of dialects, while recognizing more hybrid dialects exist. The most popular dialect of the language, Southern Quechua, is spoken throughout southern Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and even parts of Argentina. Another dialect, Northern Quechua, is spoken in parts of Colombia and Ecuador. A third dialect, known as Waywash, is spoken in parts of Peru's central highlands. The fourth main dialect, Yunkey, is spoken in pockets of the Peruvian highlands.

Quechua is an official language in both Bolivia and Peru. Censuses in Andean countries have tried to gauge the number of Quechua speakers, though the results suffer from underreporting. It is generally estimated that there were between 8 and 11 million Quechua speakers in South America in the early twenty-first century.

See alsoAymara; Chincha; Indigenous Languages.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alvarez, Luis R. Las lenguas aborigines: Testimonio de nuestra raices. Cordoba: Alcion Editora, 2003.

Campbell, Lyle. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.

                                Wilfredo Kapsoli

                                Sean H. Goforth