| Proto-Quechuan | |
| Region: | Central Peru |
| Era: | before 500 BC |
| Target: | Quechuan languages |
| Familycolor: | American |
Proto-Quechuan language is the hypothetical mother tongue or proto-language that would have given rise to the various languages of the Quechuan language family. This proto-language is reconstructed based on evidence from modern Quechuan languages, as well as records of ancient forms.
Proto-Quechuan was likely spoken in the central region of ancient Peru according to Alfredo Torero. It then expanded southwards to replace Aymara. At the beginning of the fifth century, the proto-Quechua would have crossed the mountain range to settle in the central highlands (Valle del Mantaro), then proto-Aymara-speaking, producing the division between Quechua I (to the east) and Quechua II.[1]
The syllables of the Quechua languages are composed of at least one vowel as nucleus. As a general rule, the syllables allow a consonant in position of onset and coda (beginning and end of syllable, respectively).
Three vowel phonemes are distinguished: a vowel open pronounced as / /a// and closed rounded vowel pronounced as / /u// unrounded pronounced as / /i//. The precise pronunciation of these vowel phonemes varies with their phonetic environment. The vicinity of a uvular consonant produces more centralized allophones such as pronounced as / [ɑ]/, pronounced as / [e]/, pronounced as / [ɛ]/, pronounced as / [o]/, pronounced as / [ɔ]/ and that of the semiconsonant palatal approximant pronounced as / /j// also causes an overtaking of pronounced as / /a// to pronounced as / [æ]/. As for the consonants, Proto-Quechua would have had three nasal consonant pronounced as / /m, n, ɲ// four occlusive pronounced as / /p, t, k, q//, two affricates pronounced as / /t͡ʃ, ʈ͡ʂ//, three fricatives pronounced as / /s, ʂ, h//, two approximants pronounced as / /j, w// and two or three liquid pronounced as / /ʎ, ɾ, (l)//.
| Alveolar | Post-alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | pronounced as /m/ | pronounced as /n/ | pronounced as /ɲ/ | ||||||||||||||
| stop | |||||||||||||||||
| Affricate | |||||||||||||||||
| Fricative | |||||||||||||||||
| Approximant | pronounced as /j/ | pronounced as /w/ | |||||||||||||||
| Lateral | (pronounced as /l/) | pronounced as /ʎ/ | |||||||||||||||
| Tap | pronounced as /ɾ/ | ||||||||||||||||
The following table shows the numerals in Proto-Quechuan and its evolution in different modern Quechua languages:
| GLOSS | PROTO- QUECHUAN | Quechua I | Quechua II | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacaraos | Cajamarca | Tena | Santiagueño | |||||||||||
| '1' |
| huk | huk | huk, suk | huk | suχ | ʃux | ʃuh | ʃuk | huk | hux | ux | suk | |
| '2' |
| iʃkaj | iʃkaj | iʃkaj | iʃkaj | iʃkaj | iʃgaj | iʃki | iʃki | iskaj | iskaj | iskaj | iʃkaj | |
| '3' |
| kima, kimsa | kimsa | kimsa | kima | kimsa | kinsa | kinsa | kinsa | kimsa | kinsa | kinsa | kimsa | |
| '4' |
| ʧusku | ʧusku | ʈʂusku | ʈʂusku | ʈʂusku | ʧusku | ʧusku | ʧusku | tawa | tawa | tawa | taa | |
| '5' |
| piʦqa | piʧɢa | piʧʔa | pisχa | piʧqa | piʧa | piʧka | piʧka | piʧχa | pʰisqa | pʰiʃqa | piʃqa | |
| '6' |
| huqta | suχta | suʔta | huχta | suχta | sukta | sukta | sukta | suχta | suqta | suhta | suqta | |
| '7' |
| qanʧis | ɢanʧis | ʔanʈʂis | ʁanʈʂis | qanʈʂis | kanʧis | kanʧis | kanʤis | χanʧis | qanʧis | qanʧis | qanʧis | |
| '8' |
| puwaq | pusaχ | pusaː | puwaχ | pusaχ | pusax | pusah | pusak | pusaχ | pusaq | pusah | pusaq | |
| '9' |
| isqun | isɢun | isʕun | isʁun | isqun | iskun | iskun | iskun | isχun | isqun | hisqʼun | isqun | |
| '10' |
| ʧuŋka | ʧuŋka | ʈʂunka | ʈʂuŋka | ʈʂuŋga | ʧuŋga | ʧuŋga | ʧuŋga | ʧuŋka | ʧunka | ʧuŋka | ʧuŋka | |