Learning Spanish in
Ecuador means dipping your Castilian chips in a healthy dollop of
Quechua sauce.
A Quechua speaker from near Facundo Vela |
Quechua was the Incan language in pre-Colombian South America. It is spoken in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and by the immigrant population of Argentina – that's just under 10 million people.
Spanish has borrowed
thousands of words from this indigenous language. But even English
has a sprinkling of Quechua - the words condor, puma, llama, quinine,
and jerky (for dried meat) are all of Quechua origin.
Here are some of my favourite Quechua words, used commonly in Ecuador
A Quechua speaker from Tisaleo |
Wawa – baby. It's an
onamatapaeic word from the noise they make when they cry)
Chirisiqui –
literally 'cold bum' but with the English meaning 'stark bollock
naked'
Chapa – the fuzz, the
filth, the rozzers. Or if you're in trouble 'Senor Policia'. Chapa
literally means to survey
Wacala – Minging
Llucsi – mush, go...
used for animals or, if you're a loveable rogue like myself, for
loved-ones who dilly and dally
Wambra – little
child, I rather like this one
Chaquinan – foot
path, useful when Lucy and I completely lost the chaquinan when we
went hiking around Imbabura
Bamba – valley. As in
the town Riobamba (which is river valley). Ecuadorians call it
Friobamba because it's so cold. I had a delicious plate of fish and
chips in Friobamba – but that's another story (it was also 30
degrees that day)
Longo – young chap
when used by the Indians, but when used by mestizos about the Indians
it takes on racist connotations. Lucy compares it to the English word
'pikey'
Lucy... not a Quechua speaker |
“Sadly Quechua is
slowly disappearing in Ecuador, mainly because of the popular notion
that by speaking it you belong to a lower class or are socially
excluded.
In the newly populated
areas of the subtropic, the highland Quechua speaking parents refuse
to talk to their children in their native language. Instead, they
want their Wambras and Wawas to learn Spanish to have better
opportunities in life. The same happens with most immigrants in the
cities.
The parents of this girl from the subtropical region originally came from the highlands around Simiatug. She now speaks Spanish and not Quechua |
Despite this Quechua
persists somehow, even in mestizo environments. Sometimes we learn
the words of this pre-Colombian language without even knowing they
are not of Spanish origin. All of the words above are widely used by
all Ecuadorians.
This may cause some
despair or sadness to those who romanticise the indigenous cultures,
and of course, with the loss of the language you also lose lots of
your culture. But I think languages should live only as long as they
are useful for communication, leaving aside all our idyllic thoughts
of the pre-Hispanic Andean cultures.”
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