Quechua

plural Quechuas

1. A member of one of several South American ethnic groups that spans Peru, Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, northern Chile, and in Ecuador and southern Colombia.

   1 more example

   The Quechuas, a tribe of the Inca people, were Indians of the red race and with an appearance and trait which is distinctly American. “They are”, says Victor W. Von Hagen in his book, Realm of the Incas, “of medium height, and inclined to be thickset, with large hands, small wrists, a disproportionately large chest (developed for breathing at high altitudes), well-developed legs, and wide-spreading feet. They are broad-headed, with high cheekbones, prominent aquiline noses, and small, almond-shaped eyes.” There are still five million of them in the Andes.

   1972, Lytle Robinson, chapter 5, in Edgar Cayceʼs Story of the Origin and Destiny of Man, USA: Berkley Publishing Corporation, page 105

   Synonyms: Quechuan

1. The language spoken by these people.

   If the idea of “exotic” and complex languages with features you’ve never imagined thrills you, I guarantee you’ll get more out of studying Navajo, American Sign Language, Kikuyu, Vietnamese, Cree, Cantonese, Quechua, or Nuuchahnnulth than Quenya, Klingon, or attempting to make your own.

   2023 December 30, Daniel W. Hieber, “Why I hate conlangs”, in Linguistic Discovery, archived from the original on 24 May 2024