Quechuan languages
| Quechua | |
|---|---|
| Quechuan | |
| Geographic distribution | Peru |
| Ethnicity | Quechuas |
Native speakers | 8 million |
| Linguistic classification | Quechumaran ? |
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | qu |
| ISO 639-2 / 5 | que |
| Glottolog | quec1387 |
 | |
Quechua, sometimes written Quichua or Ketchua, is a group of languages spoken by 8 million people in the South American nations of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Colombia. It was the language of the ancient Inca Empire. It is sometimes referred to as the Quechuan language family.
It is the most-spoken Native American language in South America and is also the most widely-spoken indigenous language. A quarter of the people in Peru speak Quechua. People who speak Quechua as their first language are called Quechua Indians by Spanish-speakers. However, the Quechua refer to themselves as Runa ("the people") and call their language Runa Simi.
Sounds
[change | change source]Quechua has only three vowel sounds: a, i, and u.
Place names
[change | change source]Quechua has given names to many places in Peru, including the Ancash Region. Anqash is the Quechua word for blue, and the name is thought to refer to the region's blue skies.
Other websites
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