Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
Quechuan [kech-wuh n] Word Origin adjective
- of or relating to the Quechua language or people.
noun, plural Quech·uans, (especially collectively) Quech·uan.
Origin of Quechuan First recorded in 1835–45; Quechu(a) + -an Quechua or Kech·ua, Kech·uan, Quech·uan, Quich·ua [kech-wah, -wuh] noun, plural Quech·uas, (especially collectively) Quech·ua for 2.
- the language of the Inca civilization, presently spoken by about 7 million people in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.
- a member of an Indian people of Peru speaking Quechua.
British Dictionary definitions for quechuan Quechua Kechua Quichua noun
- plural -uas or -ua a member of any of a group of South American Indian peoples of the Andes, including the Incas
- the language or family of languages spoken by these peoples, possibly distantly related to the Tupï-Guarani family
Derived FormsQuechuan, Kechuan or Quichuan, adjective, noun Word Origin and History for quechuan Quechua n.
Indian people of Peru and surrounding regions, 1811, from Spanish, from Quechua kechua “plunderer, destroyer.” Also the name of their language. Related: Quechuan.