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Quechua
noun
Que·chua
ˈke-chə-wə
ˈkech-wə
plural Quechua or Quechuas
1
: a family of languages spoken by Indian peoples of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina
2
a
: a member of an Indian people of central Peru
b
: a group of peoples forming the dominant element of the Inca Empire
Examples of Quechua in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stay warm and dry on your winter hikes with the Decathlon Quechua coat for $79.
—
Nora Colomer, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
The first year, students would have learned the Quechua language, which was largely spoken by the elites.
—
Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2024
Lenin Tamayo, middle, fuses Quechua language with the beats and fashion of K-pop to make Quechua pop, or Q-pop.
—
Sisa Quispe, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
And Lenin Tamayo is preserving Quechua and Andean culture.
—
Sam Jacobs, TIME, 16 Oct. 2024
Reynaldo Morales, assistant professor at Northwestern University is a descendant of the Quechua peoples of Peru and teaches on American Indian, and indigenous peoples' issues in the media, and covers environmental issues facing indigenous communities around the world.
—
Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024
Brazilians primarily speak Portuguese, and millions of people in Latin America speak Indigenous languages, such as Nahuatl, K'iche' and Quechua.
—
Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024
After all, the part called for a Native performer with basketball experience, and Bratt, whose mom’s side is Quechua and dad’s is Coahuiltecan Nation, spent three years on his high school’s varsity team.
—
Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2024
But now there is also rap, hip-hop, and trap performed in Quechua, thanks to young artists who have chosen to both spotlight the sound, and use it to call out injustices to Quechua people.
—
Sisa Quispe, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Aug. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
Spanish, probably from Southern Peruvian Quechua qheswa (simi), literally, valley speech
First Known Use
1688, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Dictionary Entries Near Quechua
Cite this Entry
“Quechua.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Quechua. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
Quechua
noun
Que·chua
ˈkech-(ə-)wə
kə-ˈchü-ə
plural Quechua or Quechuas
: a family of closely related languages spoken by Indigenous peoples of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina
More from Merriam-Webster on Quechua
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Quechua
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