Quechua

Quechua, sometimes written Quichua or Ketchua, is a language spoken by 8 million people in the South American nations of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, and Colombia. It was also the language of the ancient Inca Empire. It is a member of 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.

Quechua has only three vowel sounds: a, i, and u.

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

• A website that teaches Quechua