Quechua is a Quechuan language that is spoken in South America. It is the most widely spoken indigenous language in the Americas, with around 8.5 million speakers. There are about 45 dialects of the language, and not all of them are mutually intelligible. Quechua was the language spoken in the Inca Empire, and it was widely spoken around 1000 years before the empire even began. The name Quechua derives from the language’s word “Qheswa,” which means an area of low altitude and high temperatures. However, the language is mainly spoken in areas of high altitude today, so some researchers have drawn the conclusion that Quechua originated not in the Cusco area, but along the coast of Peru. Now, the language is spoken throughout South America, and there are many classes, texts, and entertainment mediums available in the language. 

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Also known as: Kichwa, Runa Simi, Runa Shimi

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Language Family: Quechuan

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Written Alphabet: Latin 

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Category: Vulnerable 

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Speakers: Around 8.5 million

• LIVE - Quechua - Kabra ŃAWY - Quena - Native Music - WUAUQUIKUNA - LIVE

• Aymara and Quechua folk songs

• A Sweet Lullaby in Quechua

• A Quechua song about Andean love

• Renata Flores Rivera - Fallin' - Alicia Keys - Versión Quechua

• "Intiq Churin" - Quechua song

• Quechua Music & Dancing on the beach in Peru

• Yaw Yaw Puka Polleracha - A Song in Quechua

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