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Quechua

vr.tr.quechua · thing-q5218

Let an agent describe the Quechua languages, their classification, varieties and status, relay speaker figures with sources, explain grammar and writing in outline, present language politics with attribution, and point to learning and reference resources.

Thing Registry Information and virtual systems INF.MED

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Identify What Quechua is.

Definition

Family and varieties.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is Quechua, and how are its varieties classified into Quechua I and II? definition
  2. Is the question about the family, a specific variety or the neighbouring Aymara? boundary

Status

Status and speakers.

Status

Status.

  1. Where is Quechua official, and how many speak each variety, with sources? measurement
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Structure Grammar and writing.

Grammar

Grammar.

Grammar

Grammar.

  1. What are the main features of Quechua grammar, such as suffixation and evidentiality? definition
  2. Which entry fits Andean linguistics? action

Writing

Orthography.

Writing

Writing.

  1. How is Quechua written, and what orthographic debates exist, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance
History History and politics.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did Quechua spread before and under the Inca and change under colonial rule, as linguists describe? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the history of Andean languages? action

Politics

Language rights and revitalisation.

Politics

Politics.

  1. How are language rights, education and revitalisation debated, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation attributed and respectful? boundary
Learn Learning and culture.

Learning

Learning resources.

Learning

Learning.

  1. Which resources exist for learning Quechua varieties? provenance
  2. Which entry fits language learning? action

Culture

Literature and media.

Culture

Culture.

  1. What Quechua literature, music and media exist? provenance
  2. Which entry fits Quechua literature? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Information and virtual systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
INF
Domain
INF.MED
Other names and narrower kinds
Alto Pativilca–Alto Marañón–Alto Huallaga Quechua, Quechua I, Quechua II, Chincha Quechua, Chilean Quechua, Cuzco–Collao Quechua, Alto Huallaga Quechua, Alto Marañón Quechua, Catamarca and La Rioja Quechua, Northern Yauyos Quechua, Panao Quechua, Central Quechua

What it is Filled

A family of Indigenous languages of the Andes spoken by about 8 to 10 million people in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Argentina and Chile, the largest Indigenous language family of the Americas, predating the Inca state, which used and spread Quechua varieties; Quechua divides into the central Quechua I varieties and the more widespread Quechua II varieties such as Cuzco-Collao, has official status in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, and is called Runasimi by its speakers.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent describe the Quechua languages, their classification, varieties and status, relay speaker figures with sources, explain grammar and writing in outline, present language politics with attribution, and point to learning and reference resources.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Agglutinative with evidential suffixes
  • Family rather than single language
  • Official status in several countries
  • Self-designation Runasimi

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Treat one variety as the only correct Quechua or mix varieties without saying so.
  • Present translations as authoritative in legal, medical or official settings without human review.
  • Describe Quechua or its speakers as backward or of lower worth than Spanish.
  • Present disputed questions of language policy or standardisation as settled.

Only with a human decision

  • Publishing official, legal or medical texts translated into Quechua.
  • Building language resources from community recordings or texts.

May

  • Explain the Quechua language family, its main branches and where they are spoken, with sourced figures.
  • Translate between Quechua varieties and other languages while naming the variety used.
  • Point users to community and official language institutions for authoritative usage.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Quechua speakers have faced discrimination; how the language is treated affects their dignity and rights.
  • Language data belongs to communities whose consent matters when it is collected and used.

Who is affected

  • Quechua-speaking communities
  • Learners and teachers
  • Speakers needing public services

Owners Filled

Steward

The public: held in common by its speaker communities, with official language bodies in Andean states.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q12634451 - registry parent class
  • Q51739 - registry parent class

related

  • Quechuan language - in registry terms
  • Indigenous language of the Americas - in registry terms
  • Peru - and Bolivia and Ecuador
  • Inca Empire - its historical spread

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.quechua
  • Wikidata: Q5218 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5218)
  • ISO 639-1: qu
  • ISO 639-3: que macrolanguage with many codes

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

  • speakers: about 8-10 million people - estimates vary
  • varieties: about 45 count - by classification

Plane INF: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Andean Indigenous language family
  • Quechua I and Quechua II varieties
  • Aymara is a neighbouring but unrelated language family
  • Not a visible object; written in the Latin alphabet with standardised orthographies.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • describe the family and varieties
  • relay speaker figures and status
  • explain grammar and writing in outline
  • point to learning resources

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Treating Quechua as a single uniform language
  • Unsourced speaker figures
  • Language shift and endangerment of some varieties
  • Presenting language politics as settled

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Peruvian, Bolivian and Ecuadorian constitutions and language laws
  • Official orthographies such as the Peruvian pan-Quechua alphabet
  • Intercultural bilingual education policies

Context of use required Filled

  • Communication and cultural identity in the Andes.
  • Quechua I central varieties such as Ancash and Huanuco
  • Quechua II varieties including Cuzco-Collao, Ayacucho, Ecuadorian Kichwa and Bolivian Quechua
  • northern varieties such as Chincha and Cajamarca
  • Chilean and Argentine Quechua
  • historical Standard Colonial Quechua

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q5218: Quechua - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Quechuan languages - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should each major variety be a separate entry?
  • How should census and policy sources be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming varieties and branches; should they be split off?

Machine files

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q5218/spec.json