Quechuan languages of the former Inca Empire hold the essence of South American heritage. Originating in the southern Peruvian highlands around 2,600 BC, the languages rapidly expanded because of the Inca conquests, extending from Southern Colombia to Central Chile and the Pacific coast to the Amazon basin.
The Quechua family, known as Runasimi in Quechua (runa meaning "people" and simi meaning "speech"), comprise approximately 45 related languages. Spoken by nearly 10 million people in the Andean region of South America, Quechua possesses a history predating the Inca Empire. Quechua became the official language of the Inca kings of Cuzco, the heart of the Inca Empire. As the empire flourished from 1438 to 1533 AD, Quechua became Peru's common language, spreading to Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. Even before the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, Quechua had permeated vast regions, reaching Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina. In 2024, Quechua faces the challenge of encroachment by the Spanish language in Peru and Bolivia, where Spanish is the official language of government and education. While Quechua remains the language of everyday communication for many, it is gradually yielding to Spanish. Quechua, with its complex history, diverse dialects, and unique linguistic features, stands as a testament to the endurance of indigenous languages in historical upheavals and linguistic shifts. Quechua (along with Spanish and Aymara) holds official language status in Peru and Bolivia. However, Spanish takes precedence in formal contexts such as government, administration, commerce, education, and media. Bilingual education efforts in Peru face challenges, while Bolivia and Ecuador are making strides in revitalizing Quechua through bilingual programs. The sound system of Quechua is relatively uncomplicated, featuring three vowels and 14 consonants. The language builds words from basic roots and suffixes. Stress typically falls on the penultimate syllable; the standard word order is subject-object-verb. Its nouns, adjectives, and pronouns exhibit unique characteristics, such as the absence of gender in nouns, the optional use of the plurals, and possession marked by suffixes. Person, tense, and aspect use verbs, while the language incorporates object pronouns into the verb. Quechua vocabulary, estimated to have borrowed up to a third from Spanish, reflects influences from the colonial era. The Incas lacked a written language before the Spanish introduced the Latin alphabet. The civilization recorded information in the form of knotted strings or khipu. Khipus served as a method of record-keeping, and its primary function was to store and convey information. The Inca used khipus for various purposes, including accounting, census data, agricultural statistics, and historical narratives. Since the Spanish conquest, Quechua has used the Roman alphabet with variations. The Spanish conquest destroyed many khipus; some survived it, and museums house the remnants. One notable collection is the Khipu Database Project, which aims to compile information about existing khipus. Quechua's influence extends beyond language into culture. In the movies, Quechua is the basis of the fictional Huttese language in Star Wars. Additionally, several words entered the English language through Quechua via Spanish, including "condor," "guano," and "llama." As Quechua faces challenges from linguistic assimilation, efforts continue to revitalize and preserve it. The language stands as a living testament to the resilience of indigenous cultures in the Andean region, weaving a narrative that spans millennia.
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AuthorDanielle Kurin - Award-Winning Educator and Researcher. Archives
June 2023
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