Historical Trajectory of the Quechuan Linguistic Family and its Relations to the Aimaran Linguistic Family

Abstract

This article seeks to present the principal stages of the prehistory and history of the Quechuan language family in its interaction with the Aimaran family. It reconstructs a plausible scenario for a unique, intensive process of linguistic convergence that underlies the protolanguages of both families. From there on, it traces the principal developments that characterize the history of the Quechuan linguistic family, such as the initial split in two main branches, Quechua I and Quechua II (following Torero 1964), as well as further divisions that subsequently affected the Quechua II branch (Cajamarca, Laraos and Lincha Quechua, Quechua IIB and IIC). It is argued that the state of Huari (AD 500-900) may have acted as a driving force (cf. Beresford-Jones and Heggarty 2011) for the initial diffusion of Quechua II and, later on, for the expansion of southern Aimara and Quechua IIC into the Andes of southern Perú.