Quechua

Quechua, also known as Runasimi, is an indigenous language of the Americas, spoken by the Quechua peoples, primarily in the Andes region of South America. The language has a long and rich history, dating back to the time of the Inca Empire. Today, Quechua is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages in the Americas, with an estimated 8 million speakers. The Quechua language has a complex grammar and a large vocabulary. It is a tonal language, with a distinctive system of vowel harmony. Quechua is also notable for its use of reduplication, a linguistic process whereby parts of words are repeated to create new words. Quechua has been written in a variety of scripts over the years, including the Latin alphabet, the Quechua alphabet, and the Mayan hieroglyphic system. Today, the Latin alphabet is the most commonly used script for writing Quechua. The Quechua language is an important part of Quechua identity. It is used in daily life, in religious ceremonies, and in the arts. Quechua is also an official language in Peru and Bolivia, and it is recognized as a minority language in Ecuador and Chile.