An Andean-Equatorial language and a member of the Quechuamaran branch, spoken by c. 10 million people mainly in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia; also widely used as a lingua franca throughout the central Andean region.
Quechua was the language of the Inca civilization in the 15th-16th centuries. It was spoken in two main versions: Inca Simi was the register of the ruling caste and Runa Simi was spoken by the ordinary people. From the mid-16th century onwards the tribal name Quechua came to be used to designate Runa Simi. The language was taught at the University of Lima, founded in 1551.
Today Quechua is spoken in many dialects throughout the region, but the two standard forms are Cuzco Quechua, spoken in Bolivia, and Ayacucho Quechua, the Peruvian standard. The main difference is phonological. The language is spelt in the Roman alphabet officially adopted in 1946.
| Courses | |
| Curso de Quechua 40 lecciones | QU CBEG 3(PACK) |
| Introduction to Quechua : language of the Andes | QU CBEG 2 |
| Kawsay Vida : a multimedia Quechua course for beginners and beyond | QU CBEG 5(PACK) |
| Learn Quechua (Talk Now!) | QU CBEG 1(CD-ROM) |
| Manual de Conversacion Quechua | QU CBEG 3(PACK) |
| Spoken Cuzco Quechua : Units 1-6 | QU CBEG 4(PACK) |
| Dictionaries | |
| Quechua | QU DICO 1 |
| Quechua de huarás, en eapañol e inglés : glosario | QU DICO 2 |
| Vocabulary | |
| Quechua Phrasebook | QU VOCAB 1 |
| Qillqakuna : un abecedario quechua | QU VOCAB 2 |