DICTIONARY INTRODUCTION Dictionary Introduction In a cramped Quito apartment in the late 1990s, the first draft of this dictionary, in Kechwa and Spanish, was written by my brother, Nematni Baltazar Masaquiza Ch. In the fall of 2004, with my beginning Kechwa students at Kansas University, and then with my Kechwa II students in the spring of 2005, we added many words and the English meanings to make it a tri-lingual Kechwa-Spanish-English dictionary. Kechwa is the most widely spoken indigenous language of the Americas. It is spoken today in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. There are dialectical differences between regions. Within Ecuador, where I grew up, one finds minor letter changes between regions. In one dialect people might say kanda instead of kanta; ufiana instead of uvyana; caca instead of q’aqa; maskana, instead of maxkana. Kechwa speakers and students will notice that I have not strictly followed the pronunciation and spelling conventions of Ecuadorian Unified Kechwa, but rather have applied vocabulary and conventions from Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Why did I do this? In part, I have taken advantage of a language that is not yet standardized— Ecuadorian Kechwa isn’t—to experiment in using other indigenous’ peoples’ letters. For example, Mayans and Aztec intellectuals have been reclaiming their own languages and using their original codices as guides. Borrowing words and letters from other language is happening all the time, but there is often a forced quality the way European languages and letters have come into indigenous languages. Why can’t Kechwa borrow letters from other indigenous cultures? Or words from cousin languages like Aymara? To reclaim ownership of our language, we need to re-assume authority over it. 1 DICTIONARY INTRODUCTION In the Andes, Kechwa did not have written form. Instead, Catholic missionaries translated the Bible into Kechwa using the Spanish alphabet according to ears trained by Spanish sounds and rules. As more and more native Kechwas have achieved university degrees, many have made efforts to reclaim our language, to make it our own rather than ruled by conventions developed and imposed by non-native speakers. An example is the recent assertion of Mayans and Kechwas who have gone through the considerable trouble of changing from Spanish, Christian names to indigenous names. This dictionary is written for Kechwa speakers and non-Kechwa speakers. Whoever wants to learn the language of the Inkas should find it useful. A native English speaker does not have to know Spanish in order to learn Kechwa. We hope this dictionary will also be useful for translators of academic works, for school teachers, for radio and television producers, and for travelers who want to communicate with the Kechwa speakers throughout the Andes. I want more people to be exposed to Kechwa, learn it, and support its preservation. Ecuadorian Kechwa speakers use three vowels, a, i, and u. Some Peruvian and Bolivian dialects have words pronounced with the strong Spanish vowels e and o. 2 DICTIONARY INTRODUCTION The Kechwa alphabet I have used here is gathered from various books from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. I used the letter k instead of c. The letter j is used for the h, and for the past habitual tense and adjentives. The marked letter k’ or q, q’ are used instead of kh, the letter p’ instead of ph. Like our Mayan counterparts, I have substituted x for what in English is typically spelled with sh. For example, many Kechwa dialects in Ecuador write the Kechwa verb for ‘to come’ as shamuna. Here I spell the same as xamuna. To use the letter x is very simple—with one strike—x—you can write the sound sh. It will save time and with a little time, I think you’ll learn to like it. Nina Kinti-Moss (formerly Martina Masaquiza) Kechwa Instructor Center for Latin American Studies University of Kansas This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA. 3 KECHWA ENGLISH SPANISH AA HOPE OJALÁ ABYAYALA AMERICA AMÉRICA ABYAYALA PATAPAK ORGANIZATION OF ORGANIZACIÓN DE TANDANAKOY AMERICAN STATES ESTADOS AMERICANOS ACH PERHAPS QUIZÁ ACH SHOULD BE DEBE SER ACH SHOULD BE LIKE ASÍ SERÁ ACHACHA (NEO.) TOY GUGUETE ACHACHAY COLD, EXPRESSION FRÍO, QUE ACHACHI GRANDFATHER ABUELO ACHALLÄ ADMIRABLE ADMIRABLE ACHALLÄNA PLEASE (TO) COMPLACER ACHALLÄÑINA LIKE (TO); BE FOND OF AFICIONAR (TO) ACHALLKU (NEO.) CORN SILK PELO DE MAIZ ACHANKARA FLOWER (WHITE) FLOR BLANCA ACHARI LIKE, SHOULD BE LIKE ASÍ DEBE SER ACHARINA BELIEF CREER ACHARIÑINA (NEO.) DOUBT A LITTLE (TO) DUDAR UN POCO ACHHÖYUNA (A.S)(NEO.) INFLUENCE (TO) INFLUIR ACHIK LIGHT LUZ ACHIK SHINE, CLEAR BRILLA ACHIK LIGHT; ELECTRICITY LUZ ELÉCTICA ACHIKLLA CLEAR CLARO (ADJ.) ACHIKYACHIK LIGHT BULB FOCO ACHIKYANA MORNIG DAWN AMANECER ACHIMAMA GODMOTHER MADRINA ACHITÄYTA GODFATHER PADRINO ACHIWA (NEO.) PARASOL PARASOL ACHIWA (NEO.) UMBRELLA PARAGUAS ACHIYKAMAYUK (NEO.) ENCHANTING; SORCERER HECHICERO ACHIYNA (NEO.) DIVINE (TO); GUESS (TO) ADIVINAR ACHKA A LOT MUCHO ACHKA ABUNDANT; A LOT (ADJ.) ABUNDANTE ACHKA GREAT DEAL; A LOT MUCHO ACHKA MUCH BASTANTE ACHKA KUTI MANY TIMES MUCHAS VECES ACHKÄMAYUK WEALTH; RICHES RIQUEZA ACHKAYACHINA INCREASE, GROW (TO) AUMENTAR ACHKAYAXKA (NEO.) PUBLIC PUBLICO ACHÑINI AGREE; ASSENT ASENTIR ACHÑIRAYANA (NEO.) DOUBT (TO) DUDAR ACHPA LAND TERRENO ACHPA EARTH TIERRA ACHPAKAMAYUK (NEO.) FARMER AGRICULTOR ACHPAKUYUY SHAKING TEMBLOR ACHPALLAQTA (NEO.) CONTINENT CONTINENTE (GEO.) ACHPAMAYUK (A.S) FARMER AGRICULTOR ACHPAQ’AQA RAVINE; GORGE BARRANCA ACHPAQUSNI (NEO.) DUST; POWDER; PINCH POLVO 4 KECHWA ENGLISH SPANISH ACHPARÄ (NEO.) AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURA ACHPASNIN (NEO.) TERRAIN TERRENO ACHPATARPUY FARMING SEMBRAR ACHPAWIRA(NEO.) PETROLEUM PETROLEO ACHPAWKA ARMY SOLDADOS ACHPAWKA ARMY EJERCITO ACHPAYANA GATHER DUST (TO) EMPOLVARSE ACHPAYUKKUNA (NEO.) LANDOWNERS TERRATENIENTES ACHQO DOG PERRO ACHQOCHINA (NEO.) INSULT, OFFEND (TO) INSULTAR ACHURANA (NEO.) DIVIDE (TO) REPARTIR AGNINA BELCH (TO); BURN (TO) ERUCTAR AIWA GOOD BYE ADIÓS AJICHANA (NEO.) SIFT, SIEVE (TO) CERNIR AJLLU (NEO.) STUTTERER TARTAMUDO AJNARA (NEO.) STUPID ESTÚPIDO AJTUNA SPIT, SPEW (TO) ESCUPIR AK’E MOTHER-IN-LAW SUEGRA AKA DUNG; EXCREMENT ESTIÉRCOL AKA EXCREMENT EXCREMENTO AKA RUST ORÍN O ESCORIA DE METAL AKAKLLU (NEO.) BIRD WHISTLE; BIRD CALL PÁJARO, PITO AKALLI (NEO.) INTESTINE; GUT INTESTINO AKANAPAYANA TURN RED, ROUGE (TO) ARREBOLAR AKANAYANA DESIRE TO CARRY TENER GANA DE CAGAR AKANCHANI(MAPAYACHIN TO DIRTY (TO) ENSUCIAR A) AKÄÑIKUNA COMPLAIN QUEJAR AKÄÑISPANIKACHAY MOAN; GROAN QUEJIDO AKÄÑIYPAYAK COMPLAINING QUEJOSO AKANTANK’A (NEO.) BUG ESCARABAJO PELOTERO AKAPANA TORNADO TORNADO AKAPANA HURRICANE HURACÁN AKAPANÄMANANMI ROSY ARREBOLADO AKARAK’AY HYGIENIC SERVICE HIGIÉNICO, SERVICIO AKARWÄ(PIXPINTU) BUTTERFLY (BIG) MARIPOSA GRANDE AKATANJA (NEO.) SCARAB ESCARABAJO AKATANKA (NEO.) BEETLE ESCARABAJO AKAWARA (NEO.) INFANCY; EARLY STAGES PAÑAL AKAY ! (NEO.) MOAN, TO BE IN PAIN AY! AKICHIJ (NEO.) READY; WILLING DISPUESTO AKILLA (A.S) (NEO.) POT VASIJA AKILLA (A.S) (NEO.) GLASS COPA AKKANAJ (NEO.) SERVANT SERVIDOR AKKI SISTER-IN-LAW CUÑADA AKNA (NEO.) RITE; CEREMONY RITO AKNANA (A,S NEO.) CELEBRATE CELEBRAR AKSI HIGH ALTO AKSI ALTITUDE, HEIGHT; ALTURA LOFTINESS AKSU(ANAQO) SKIRT SAYA AKU SAND ARENA ÄKU (NEO.) RARE RARO 5 KECHWA ENGLISH SPANISH AKUCHA (NEO.) BAD; DIFFICULT; POOR MALO QUALITY AKUILLA (NEO.) EVIL; WICKED MALVADO AKURA (ADJ.)(NEO.) PRIVATE PRIVADO AKURA (NEO.) PRIVATE PRIVADO AKUS(LLULLAJ) (NEO.) LIAR, FIBBER EMBUSTERO AKUYLLA (ADJ, NEO.) EVIL, WICKED, EVILDOER MALO,DIABÓLICP AKWA CINNAMON COLORED; CANELA CINNAMON ALAA MUSHROOM HONGO ALAMU(MAXI) FRIEND AMIGO (S.) ALAPANA FINISH (TO); PUT AND END REMATAR TO (TO) ALAPANA INTERWEAVE (TO) ENTRETEJER ALAPANA ROLL, WRAP (TO) LIAR ALLANA EXCAVATE CAVAR ALLANA DIG, HOE, SINK (TO) CAVAR ALLANA EXCAVATE (TO); DIG (TO) EXCAVAR ALLI GOOD BUENO ALLI GOOD CLARIDAD (FIG.) ALLI GOOD; WELL BIEN ALLI CHIXI GOOD AFTERNOON BUENAS TARDES ALLI P’UNLLA GOOD DAY BUENOS DÍAS ALLI TUTA GOOD EVENING/NIGHT BUENAS NOCHES ALLICHANA TO FIX , ADORN (TO); ADEREZAR PREPARE (TO) ALLICHANA AGREEMENT CONCORDANCIA ALLICHAY ADVANTAGE; BENEFIT PROVECHO ALLICHAY SETTLEMENT; FIXED ARREGLO ALLICHICHINA BENEFIT, IMPROVE, DO BENEFICIAR GOOD (TO) ALLICHINA TO FIX, MAKE SOMEONE SENTIR BIEN FEEL BETTER ALLICHINA ADORN (TO); DECORATE ADORNAR (TO) ALLICHINA BETTER (TO) MEJORAR ALLICHINA DECORATE (TO) DECORAR ALLICHINA FIX, REPAIR (TO) ARREGLAR ALLICHINA MAKE UP (TO) COMPONER ALLICHINA MODIFY (TO) MODIFICAR ALLICHINA PERFECT (TO) PERFECCIONAR (V.) ALLICHIRIAY SYSTEM; METHOD SISTEMA ALLIKAJ RISEN; LIFTED; HERALDED ASCENDIDO ALLIKAJKURAKA (NEO.) RINGLEADER CABECILLA ALLIKAY (A.S) VIRTUE VIRTUD ALLILLA CAREFULLY CUIDADOSAMENTE ALLIMANTA SLOWLY DESPACIO ALLIMKANA(ALLIYANA) HEAL, CURE, RECOVER SANAR (TO) ALLIN STUPENDOUS ESTUPENDAMENTE ALLINLLA WITH CARE; BE CAREFUL CON CUIDADO ALLINMI BEST MEJOR ALLIQKAY HEALTH; WELFARE SALUD 6 KECHWA ENGLISH SPANISH ALLIYANA HEAL, CURE, RECOVER SANAR (TO) ALLIYAY COMFORT; HAPPINESS BIENESTAR ALLIYAY ACHPATARPUY LAND, CATTLE (OF, AGROPECUARIO, REFERRING TO) FOMENTO ALLIYDI DELIBERATELY (ADV.) ADREDE ALLIYUYACHINA EXPLAIN (TO) EXPLICAR ALLIYUYANA PREVENT (TO) PREVENIR ALLKA BROWN CAFÉ ALLKACHINA (NEO.) INTERRUPT, SUSPEND INTERRUMPIR (TO) ALLKAY (NEO.) INTERRUPTION INTERRUPCIÓN ALLPI(F) (NEO.) CREAM, WHIPPED CREMA ALLU