Quechua
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.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
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.
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, descended from the language of the Inca state and earlier Andean communities; 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.
What it is for: Communication and cultural identity in the Andes.
It can be describe the family and varieties; relay speaker figures and status; explain grammar and writing in outline; point to learning resources.
Distinguishing features
Agglutinative with evidential suffixes
Family rather than single language
Official status in several countries
Self-designation Runasimi
What it looks like
Not a visible object; written in the Latin alphabet with standardised orthographies.
Physical character
speakers: about 8-10 million people - estimates vary
varieties: about 45 count - by classification
How it is recognised
Andean Indigenous language family
Quechua I and Quechua II varieties
Aymara is a neighbouring but unrelated language family
Related models
is a kind of - in registry terms
is a kind of - in registry terms
is official in - and Bolivia and Ecuador
is related to - its historical spread
In practice
Families and kinds
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
Identifiers
ISO 639-1 qu
ISO 639-3 que macrolanguage with many codes
Standards and regulation
Peruvian, Bolivian and Ecuadorian constitutions and language laws
Official orthographies such as the Peruvian pan-Quechua alphabet
Intercultural bilingual education policies
Failure modes and hazards
Treating Quechua as a single uniform language
Unsourced speaker figures
Language shift and endangerment of some varieties
Presenting language politics as settled
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Identify What Quechua is.
Identity.
Definition
Family and varieties.
Definition
Definition.
- What is Quechua, and how are its varieties classified into Quechua I and II? definition
- Is the question about the family, a specific variety or the neighbouring Aymara? boundary
Status
Status and speakers.
Status
Status.
- Where is Quechua official, and how many speak each variety, with sources? measurement
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Structure Grammar and writing.
Linguistics.
Grammar
Grammar.
Grammar
Grammar.
- What are the main features of Quechua grammar, such as suffixation and evidentiality? definition
- Which entry fits Andean linguistics? action
Writing
Orthography.
Writing
Writing.
- How is Quechua written, and what orthographic debates exist, with positions attributed? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
History History and politics.
Attribution.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did Quechua spread before and under the Inca and change under colonial rule, as linguists describe? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of Andean languages? action
Politics
Language rights and revitalisation.
Politics
Politics.
- How are language rights, education and revitalisation debated, with positions attributed? provenance
- Is the presentation attributed and respectful? boundary
Learn Learning and culture.
Practice.
Learning
Learning resources.
Learning
Learning.
- Which resources exist for learning Quechua varieties? provenance
- Which entry fits language learning? action
Culture
Literature and media.
Culture
Culture.
- What Quechua literature, music and media exist? provenance
- Which entry fits Quechua literature? action
What the second pass must settle
- 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?