About

On Dialects

Quechua, or Runa Simi, is a family of closely related languages spoken by millions of people in South America. These languages have a long tradition of being primarily oral languages, as such there are various ways to spell and pronounce words.

This website will use the Cuzco dialect, not because it is better or more “official” in any way (it is not), but rather because that is the dialect I studied.

Remarks About Spelling

On this site I do my best to adhere to the official (in Peru) three-vowel alphabet. However, I’ve learned from multiple teachers, some who used the older five-vowel alphabet and other who use the modern three-vowel, so occasionally, you might find aberrant spellings.

If you’re not familiar with The Great Vowel Debate, I recommend the following articles on the topic:

• Quechua Pronunciation and Spelling
• The Great Unholy Row: Three Vowel Letters or Five?

I’ve done my best to make sure everything on this site is accurate and useful; however, if you see any mistakes or have any suggestions, please feel free to let me know.