Quechua & Aymara Dictionary
Runa Simi and Jaqi aru – the languages of the people
Quechua – in its own language Runa Simi, the language of the people – was the common language of the Inca empire. Today some eight to ten million people speak it from Ecuador to Argentina, most of them in Peru and Bolivia. Around Lake Titicaca lives the second great language of the Andes: Aymara, Jaqi aru, with just over two million speakers. Both languages have exchanged words for centuries, and in both the conversation with Pachamama and the mountains lives on.
This dictionary is a small selection: sacred terms, sky and elements, values of living together, words from Inca times, animals and plants, numbers, family and music, greetings – each with a translation into five languages, pronunciation and its source. With the “Languages” switch you can show Quechua and Aymara separately.
How certain is a word?
Each word lists the sources in which it appears. Well attested means the word appears in this form in the dictionaries. For words marked spelling or meaning uncertain, the spelling varies from valley to valley, or the meaning comes mainly from today’s spiritual teachings and is broader than a short translation can say.
Quechua is not a single language but a family of dialects. The Quechua given here is mainly that of Cusco. This dictionary has not been checked by native speakers – I am grateful for any hints and corrections.
More dictionaries
These dictionaries are larger but cannot simply be taken over here, because their licence does not allow changes or is unclear. So you will find them here as links.
SimiDic is a free app with dictionaries for Quechua, Aymara and Guaraní (the dictionaries are licensed CC BY-NC-ND). QichwaDic compares many Quechua dialects. On Wiktionary you will find thousands of Quechua and Aymara words; kaikki.org offers them for download.
SimiDic – Quechua, Aymara, Guaraní QichwaDic – Quechua dialects Quechua on Wiktionary (kaikki.org) Aymara on Wiktionary
Sources
Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua: Diccionario Quechua–Español–Quechua (Cusco 2005) · Jorge A. Lira: Diccionario Kkechuwa–Español (1944/1982) · Diego González Holguín: Vocabulario de la lengua general de todo el Perú (1608) · Félix Layme Pairumani: Diccionario bilingüe Aymara–Castellano (2004) · Ludovico Bertonio: Vocabulario de la lengua aymara (1612) · M. J. Hardman et al.: Aymara – Compendio de estructura fonológica y gramatical (1988/2001) · Catherine J. Allen: The Hold Life Has (1988/2002) · Brian S. Bauer: The Sacred Landscape of the Inca (1998) · Gary Urton: At the Crossroads of the Earth and the Sky (1981) · Joan Parisi Wilcox: Masters of the Living Energy (1999/2004) · Thomas Turino: Moving Away from Silence (1993)
The selection and the translations into five languages were compiled with the help of AI and are based on the works named; the pronunciation is derived from the spelling by fixed rules. The source is given with each word. If you notice a mistake, feel free to write to me.
Ways of the Andean peoplesWhere the mountains speak – the world of the Inca, despacho, Inti Raymi, Qoyllur Rit’i, weaving and music of the Quechua and Aymara.
Ways of the IncaChildren of the sun – the Sapa Inca, the golden Qurikancha, the ancestors, the festive year, the Pleiades, Inca walls and daily life in the empire.
PachamamaMother World – what the word really means: pacha, the three worlds, ayni, the apus and the rights of nature.
LearnPractise words and wisdom in a playful way – flashcards, word quiz and questions on customs and rituals, for one language or all of them mixed.