El origen centroandino del aimara

Abstract

The Central Andean Origin of the Aimara Language

Traditionally, it has been thought, especially on the Bolivian side, the Andean High Plateau as the original homeland of the Aymara language. What is more, it has been maintained that this language could have been spoken by the Tiahuanaco civilization founders. In this paper attempt will be made in order to show the Central Andean provenience of Aymara, and therefore its relatively recent occupation of the Peru-Bolivian High Plateau, thus questioning its correlation with Tiahuanaco. The main argument in support of this hypothesis (otherwise formulated previously by scholars such as Middendorf) comes from diachronic processes of Proto-Aymara branching and further evolution into its modern dialects.