Quechua

noun Que·chua \ˈke-chə-wə, ˈkech-wə\

plural Quechua or Quechuas

Definition of QUECHUA

: a family of languages spoken by Indian peoples of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina

a : a member of an Indian people of central Peru

b : a group of peoples forming the dominant element of the Inca Empire

— Que·chu·an \-wən\ adjective or noun

See Quechua defined for kids

Spanish, probably from Southern Peruvian Quechua qheswa (simi), literally, valley speech

First Known Use: 1840

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