Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua

The High Academy of the Quechua Language (Spanish: Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua; Quechua: Qheswa Simi Hamut'ana Kuraq Suntur/Qhichwa Simi Hamut'ana Kuraq Suntur), or AMLQ, is a Peruvian organization whose purpose is stated as the teaching, promotion, and dissemination of the Quechua language.

High Academy of the Quechua Language
Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua
Qheswa Simi Hamut'ana Kuraq Suntur
Qhichwa Simi Hamut'ana Kuraq Suntur
AbbreviationAMLQ
Location
  • Cusco
Formerly called
Peruvian Academy of the Quechua Language

Although the institution has subsidiary associations in different regions of Peru and in several cities around the world, it mainly operates in the department of Cuzco. Its publications and Quechua as a second language courses also specialize in the Cuzco dialect. The institution is controversial because of its particularist linguistic ideologies and its defense of a 5-vowel alphabet. There is no consensus about whether the organization is a private or a public institution.[1]

History

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According to Alan Durston,[2] on November 8, 1953, Faustino Espinoza Navarro[es] ("El Inca"), working with other Quechua-speaking artists Santiago Astete Chocano, Father Jorge A. Lira and Andrés Alencastre Gutiérrez (Killku Warak'a), founded the Academia de la Lengua Quechua (Sp: 'Academy of the Quechua Language'). Gutiérrez became its first president. Its first statutes were approved in January 1954. On December 10, 1958, the government of Manuel Prado Ugarteche enacted Law 13059, which formally recognized the Peruvian Academy of the Quechua Language. The institution was established with its headquarters in the city of Cuzco.

The academy argued that Qhapaq Simi (Lit. 'the great language'), translated as Cusco Quechua, "Imperial Quechua," or "Inka Quechua,"[3] was the purest form of Quechua and should be taught in Quechua language schools; they rejected the Runa Simi that was spoken in everyday life. This variety was advocated to be taught in specialized schools known as Yachay Wasi.[4][5] On December 10, 1958, the government of Manuel Prado Ugarteche officially recognized the organization, under the name Academia Peruana de la Lengua Quechua (Peruvian Academy of the Quechua Language).[6]

On May 27, 1975, the government of Juan Velasco Alvarado made Quechua the official language of Peru.[7] The law establishing its official status prescribed a phonological alphabet that retained Spanish five-vowel characters. In 1983, professional Quechua and Aymara experts from all over Peru decided to implement an orthography with just three vowels, under phonemic considerations: a for /a/, i for /ɪ/, and u for /ʊ/. This decision was controversial, with factions of linguists, teachers, and activists both supporting it and opposing it.[8] The academy did not approve of the shift, and continues to use the five-vowel system.[9] Because of this, it writes Qosqo and not Qusqu for "Cusco."

Operation Since 1990

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Organization and Relationship with the Peruvian State

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In 1990, Law Number 25260 established a "high" (mayor) Quechua language academy in Cusco, as opposed to many regional Quechua Academies.[10] Although the law did not mention the name "High Academy of the Quecha Language," the law marked the beginning of the AMLQ's transition to its modern form, culminating in the creation of its guiding statutes in 2009.[11][12] The commission to establish the statutes was not created until 2009, although it had been recognized as a decentralized organization in 2007.

The Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua operates independently of the Peruvian State, though it considers itself an integral part of it. This affiliation is declared on its official website.

The Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, is a Decentralized Public Organization of the Education Sector, with legal status of internal public law; with administrative, academic, economic and regulatory autonomy. It is headquartered in the city of Cusco (QOSQO). It was founded as the Peruvian Academy of the Quechua Language by Law No. 13059 of November 8, 1953 and promoted to the rank of ACADEMIA MAYOR DE LA LENGUA QUECHUA by Law No. 25260 of June 19, 1990.

— AMLQ, Portal institucional[13]

Amid the foundation of several departmental Quechua Academies during the 1980s, Law No. 25260, enacted on June 6, 1990, mandated the establishment of a "Major" Quechua Academy in Cusco. This new institution was intended to be composed of representatives from all Quechua academies across the country, assuming a leadership role over them. However, the provisions of this law were never regulated or implemented. Consequently, other regional Quechua academies, such as those in Cajamarca and Ancash, have continued to operate independently of the academy in Cusco. In 2007, a regulatory amendment reclassified the legal status of the entity created by the 1990 law from a "decentralized public institution of the Education Sector" to a "decentralized public agency" (OPD).

There is ongoing debate regarding whether the currently operating Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua (AMLQ) is the legal entity under public law as established by the regulations. It was not until 2009 that the Ministry of Education formed a commission tasked with defining the statutes for the entity created by the 1990 law. The preamble of the ministerial resolution on this issue articulates what remains the official legal stance of the State regarding the AMLQ.

[...] that the Major Academy of the Quechua Language was never implemented despite the fact that 19 years have passed since the Law of its creation and that the Peruvian Academy of the Quechua Language has expired, for which reason it is not possible to comply with the requirement established in the final part of Article 7 of the aforementioned Law No. 25260, regarding the majority representation of the Peruvian Academy of the Quechua Language in the formation of the Commission that will prepare the Statute of the Major Academy of the Quechua Language. [...] That, in this sense, it is necessary to designate the members of the Commission that will elaborate the Statute of the Major Academy of the Quechua Language; [...].

— Ministerial Resolution N° 0283-2009-ED17[14]

In November 2009, Juan Incaroca, the then president of the Academy, reported that a group of former directors forcibly entered the Academy's premises by breaking the locks and stole a significant amount of administrative documents.[15]

In 2010, four members of the Academy initiated a hunger strike lasting two weeks as a protest against the lack of budget and the absence of regulation of their statutes, which they also claimed were outdated. The strike concluded with the Ministry of Education promising to allocate a budget for the Academy. However, these efforts ultimately did not materialize.

In 2016, an arbitration commission of Indecopi determined that the existing Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua (AMLQ) was not the public entity as defined by current regulations.

From the aforementioned information, it can be noticed that the institution that uses the name of the Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, does not have a statute approved by the Ministry of Culture; since it only has an internal statute where the designation as president of the board of directors of the accused is stated, as observed in the inspection report of May 14, 2015. Likewise, it is noted that the law of creation of the Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua is not in accordance with the current regulations in force. It follows that said institution de facto develops activities without having authorization from the Ministry of Culture; as well as it lacks existence, due to the fact that it does not have legal status in force, therefore, the Commission agrees to specify that the accused insofar as he directs said establishment and uses the denomination of Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, through two signs, with the purpose of attracting users, becomes a beneficiary of the publicity disseminated. Consequently, the accused has the quality of advertiser, with responsibility for the alleged infringement.

— COMISION DE LA OFICINA REGIONAL DEL INDECOPI DE CUSCO Resolución N° 226 -2016/INDECOPI-CUS

During the 2018-2019 annual session, the Committee on Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Peruvian Congress reviewed a bill that proposed, among other measures, the "institutionalization of the Academy of the Quechua Language."[16] Ultimately, the bill was not approved.

In practice, the Academy has been managed as a private association. In 2023, during the celebrations marking its "70th anniversary," the then-president Fernando Hermoza stated that the institution is self-financed, clarifying that it does not receive any budget from the Peruvian State.[17] Concurrently, during the same series of events, the foundation stone for the construction of its new premises was laid in the city.

Tim Marr has characterized the management and functioning of the AMLQ as occurring "neither with the State nor with the social bases."[18] Although the institution's official portal includes a section about it, its current Statute is not publicly available.[19] Additionally, the list of "full members" is not public, though it is known that new members are elected by the current academy members, who are predominantly professionals from Cusco. As of December 2023, the board of directors included Fernando Hermoza, David Quispe Orosco, Miguel Sánchez Andia, Julia Qquenaya Apaza, and Ronal Cjuyro Mescco.[20]

Ideology and Linguistic Policies

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The institution's mission is to preserve the "purity" of the Quechua language, promote the development of Quechua literature, and encourage linguistic research.[21] Its documents and events often use various honorific terms in both Quechua and Spanish to refer to Cuzco Quechua, such as "qhapaq simi," "pure Quechua," "classical Quechua," "imperial Quechua," "legitimate Quechua," "Runas Quechua," as well as "Inka runasimi," "Inka rimay," "imperial language," "authentic national language," "language of the Andean gods," "mother tongue," "qhapaq runasimi," "universal language," and "misk'i simi."[22]

Members of the AMLQ maintain views on the origins and spread of the Quechua language that are considered outdated by specialists, given dialectological and historical evidence. For example, in 2020, then-president Juana Rodríguez Torres claimed that Cuzco Quechua was the variety spread northward by the Inca Pachacútec, who, according to her, was primarily responsible for the Quechuization of the Andean region.[23] David Samanez Flórez, another member of the Academy, has continued to assert that Quechua originated in the Cuzco area, where he believes it has been present since the preceramic period—an idea refuted by specialists since the 1960s.[24][25][26]

Samanez also promotes a classification of Quechua languages that contradicts accepted linguistic models, claiming the primary division is between the Cuzco-Bolivian variety and a branch that includes all other Quechua languages.[27] Until the 1980s, the Academy's president at the time maintained that all other Quechua dialects "derived" from the Cuzco dialect. Additionally, it has been reported that AMLQ members perpetuate biases that regard other Quechua varieties as "degenerate" or "coarser."[28]

Institutional activities

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The mission of the institution is, in theory, to ensure the so-called 'purity' of the Quechua language and to stimulate the development of literature in this language and linguistic study. In practice, their main activity is offering Quechua as a second language and organizing cultural events about Andean culture. As such, AMLQ is one of the major cultural organizations within Cuzco city civil society. They also organize symposia called 'Quechua World Congresses' with participants coming from different departments and countries.

The Third World Congress of Quechua, Yuyayyaku Wawakuna, was held in Salta in October 2004. At the convention, decisions included tasks of the academy and its affiliates, such as putting in place the original phonetics and phonology of Quechua phytonyms, zoonyms, anthroponyms and toponyms, coordinating with political and tourist authorities; recommending that its affiliates share publications related to the language so that the institution can archive all works as part of its heritage; and recommending that the academy should have an organizational characteristic of Andean culture. The institution sought to avoid using models of foreign academies and instead wanted to create their own organizational model.[29]

In November 2020, the Fourth World Congress of Quechua, called "Pachakutip K'anchaynin" ("New times of prosperity and change are shining on us") was held in Cochabamba, Bolivia.[citation needed]

Language Ideologies and Policies

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AMLQ has emerged as the main diffusor and enforcer of a series of linguistic ideologies and policies. Within the first group, there are several ideas about the special characteristics of Cuzco Quechua vis-à-vis other Quechua varieties as well as other languages. AMLQ members refer to the Cuzco variety by means of a series of glossonyms: Inka Rimay (Qu: 'language of the Inca'), Quechua Inka/ Runasimi Inka (Sp: 'Inca Quechua'), Quechua Imperial (Sp: 'Imperial Quechua'), Qhapaq simi (Qu: 'the great language'), Qhapaq Runasimi (Qu: 'the great Quechua'), Qosqo simi (Qu: 'language of Cuzco') or Misk’i Simi (Qu: 'the sweet language').[30]

They have reinforced old ideas about Quechua origins and expansion, now considered disproved by linguistic and historical evidence. For example, chairwoman Juana Rodríguez Torres affirms that it was the Cuzco variety that was diffused northward by the Inca Pachacutec and who was the main responsible for its diffussion within the Andean world.[31] David Samanez Florez from the AMLQ to this day tries to demonstrate the cusqueño origins of the Quechua language even though, according to investigations by Parker (1963) and Torero (1964), the Quechua languages originated in the Central Sierra of Peru.[32]

On top of that, AMLQ members often diffuse hierarchical and discriminatory judgements that consider the Cuzco Quechua as "better" or "more evolved" than other Quechuas. Such ideas have roots in Inca Garcilaso's conception of Cuzco as the imperial capital and Cuzco Quechua as courtier tongue. Researcher Serafín Coronel-Molina quotes Spanish interviews with AMLQ members in which they state Cuzco Quechua pretended superiority:

The jungle languages are dialects, they are not languages. [. . .] Quechua does not have dialects. Being a language, it doesn’t have a dialect. Of course now there are different forms of conversing according to regions, the coast, the highlands, even in the north of the country or other countries like Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador. That does not mean that they are dialects, they are ways of conversing, not uniform but rather in different ways, right? For me, there are no dialects of the Quechua language.(F. Requena)

The best variety of Quechua, people from Ayacucho will say is Ayacucho Quechua, our brothers in Bolivia will say Bolivian Quechua, our brothers from Santiago del Estero in northern Argentina will say Argentine Quechua. We cuzqueños also have heart and we have to say Cuzco Quechua. But opposing those realities, the most evolved, most scientific Quechua that does not have exceptions in its writing is Inca Quechua. The Inca Quechua that has been spread from Cuzco to the majority of the communities of Tawantinsuyu.(E. Roque)[33]

Ideas singularizing Quechua, or Cuzco Quechua, in relation to other world languages include a topic of Quechua as "sweet" and as better-suited for human reasoning (so that they call it lengua universal, Sp. 'universal language'):

To speak of Quechua is to speak of a scientific language, an academic language, a technical language. To speak of Quechua is not only a medium of communication, in Quechua itself is its technology, its science, its philosophy, its mathematics, a whole set of human knowledge. The person who knows Quechua and wants to write or discover things about the past, truly with Quechua he will contrast his different hypotheses with his different variables to arrive at scientific law. [...] Consequently, the Quechua language is not only sweet, but it also allows all human sentiments to be spoken with unique feeling. In general, that would be the importance of the Quechua language, that it is much more profound than the Spanish understanding, than the English understanding, than the German understanding, than the Japanese understanding. Incredibly, philosophy, technology, science, linguistics, semantics are not dissociated [in Quechua]. Engineering is there, medicine is there, astronomy is there, astrology, philosophy is there, everything is there.(E. Mamani)

We cuzqueños are universal. If you know Quechua, you learn to speak another language better than a native speaker of that language (P. Barriga)[34]

Finally, the organization has remained the major opponent to the official phoneme-oriented 3-vowels alphabet, so that they use in texts and second language courses the pre-existing 5-vowel one. According to the AMLQ, Presidential Resolution No. 001 from the 12th of October in 1990 "ratifies the Basic Imperial Quechua Alphabet of 1975, composed of 31 graphemes: five vowels and 26 consonants from Qosqo Puno." Though both alphabets are pretty functional for the Cuzco variety, the debate has become ideologically tainted. AMLQ defends Cuzco Quechua is "essentially" pentavocálico (Sp: '5-voweled'). In that context, many AMLQ members and alumni have equated writing with three vowel letters as using a non-Cuzco variety of Quechua (usually labeled as "Chanka" or "ayacuchano").

Criticism

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  • The AMLQ is often criticized for its tendency towards linguistic purism.[35]
  • In 2006, a group of people linked to the institution vandalized a Wikipedia page about Southern Quechua, insulting its editors and defacing its title page.[citation needed]
  • In 2010, four workers of the institution began a hunger strike, claiming the statutes were outdated and the budget was too low. While the budget was initially granted, the Ministry of Education never followed through due to the AMLQ's own issues within self-regulation.[36]
  • According to Godenzzi, the intent of the academy is to create a "norm" among the languages. According to Tim Marr, the extensive setbacks over time have been result of Andean fascism.[37]
  • Several Quechua scholars have highlighted the multiple inconsistencies and errors within the AMLQ, the supposedly official Quechua dictionary.[38] There have been noted orthographic and methodological inconstencies, as well as etymological mistakes. However, main problems refer to its pretension of pan-Quechua value, while information about non-Cuzco Quechua varieties is poor and ancillary, and to the systematic erasure of usual Quechua words of Spanish origin as a result of linguistic purism.[39]<[40][41][42]

References

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  1. ^ Indecopi (06/22nd/2016). El Indecopi sanciona a entidad que se publicita como Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua sin el reconocimiento del Ministerio de Cultura (Press note).
  2. ^ Durston, A (2019). Escritura en quechua y sociedad serrana en transformación: Perú, 1920-1960. IEP/IFEA. pp. 68–69.
  3. ^ Lovon, Armando Venezuela (2002). Las Maravillas del Quechua Inka. Cusco.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ de la Cadena, Marisol (2000). Indigenous Mestizos: The Politics of Race and Culture in Cuzco, Peru, 1919-1991. Duke University Press. p. 174.
  5. ^ Coronel-Molina, S (2015). Language Ideology, Policy and Planning in Peru. Multilingual Matters. pp. 117–118.
  6. ^ Carrasco Quispe, Guido (2013-05-17). "El trivocalismo quechua y los falsos temores de los pentavocalistas" [Quecha trivocalism and the false fears of pentavocalists]. CiberAndes Magazín. Archived from the original on 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  7. ^ Kandell, Jonathan (May 22, 1975). "Peru officially adopting Indian tongue". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2020-03-27. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  8. ^ Hornberger, Nancy H.; King, Kendall A. (September 1998). "Authenticity and Unification in Quechua Language Planning". Language, Culture and Curriculum. 11 (3): 390–410. doi:10.1080/07908319808666564. ISSN 0790-8318. S2CID 143488224.
  9. ^ Coronel-Molina, Serafin M. (1996): Corpus Planning for the Southern Peruvian Quechua Language . Working Papers in Educational Linguistics 12 (2), pp. 1-27.
  10. ^ "Justia Perú :: Federales > Leyes > 25260 :: Ley de Perú". peru.justia.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  11. ^ Manley, Marilyn S. (2008-10-16). "Quechua language attitudes and maintenance in Cuzco, Peru". Language Policy. 7 (4): 323–344. doi:10.1007/s10993-008-9113-8. ISSN 1568-4555. S2CID 143604723.
  12. ^ "Designan comisión de implantación de la Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua" [Government Appoints Commission to Form High Academy of the Quechua Language] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  13. ^ AMLQ. "¿Quiénes somos?". Access date: 22 November 2023.
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ "Denuncian sustraccion de documentos de Academia Mayor de Lengua Quechua, en Cusco". YouTube. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  16. ^ "DICTAMEN RECAÍDO EN LOS PROYECTOS DE LEY 2423/2017-CR y 2876/2017-CR, QUE RECOMIENDA LA APROBACIÓN DE LA LEY QUE DECLARA DE INTERÉS NACIONAL EL FOMENTO DEL HABLA Y ESCRITURA DE LA LENGUA QUECHUA, SUS EXPRESIONES REGIONALES, ASÍ COMO, LA INSTITUCIONALIZACIÓN DE LA ACADEMÍA MAYOR DE LA LENGUA QUECHUA" (PDF). Peruvian Congress. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Audicion Radial por los 70 Anos de la Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua". Facebook. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  18. ^ Marr, Tim (1999). "Neither the State Nor the Grass Roots: Language Maintenance and the Discourse of the Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua". International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. 2 (3): 181–197. doi:10.1080/13670059908667688. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Statute". Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  20. ^ Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua https://web.archive.org/web/20231201141936/http://www.amlq.org.pe/. Archived from the original on 2023-12-01. Retrieved 17 October 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ Alvares Enriques, Samuel (Nov 7, 2010). "The Qheswa, Runa Simi or language of people". Los Andes. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  22. ^ Coronel-Molina, S. Language Ideology, Policy and Planning in Peru. Tonawada. p. 116.
  23. ^ Rodriguez-Torres, J. "Vigencia y Difusion del Quechua Pentavocalico". Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  24. ^ Samanez-Flores, D I (1994). Origen cusqueño de la lengua Quechua: como homenaje al Qosqo, con ocasión del reconocimiento constitucional de su capitalidad histórica.
  25. ^ Parker, Gary J (1963). La clasificación genética de los dialectos quechuas. Revista del Museo Nacional. pp. 241–252.
  26. ^ Torero Fernández de Córdova, Alfredo A (1964). Los dialectos quechuas. Anales Científicos de la Universidad Agraria. pp. 446–478.
  27. ^ Samanez-Flores, D I (2000). Origen cusqueño del idioma quechua. Inka Rimay [Revista oficial de la AMLQ]. pp. 11–16.
  28. ^ Coronel-Molina, S (2015). Language Ideology, Policy and Planning in Peru. NY: Tonawada. ISBN 978-1-78309-424-0.
  29. ^ "Poder Legislativo" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-11-10.
  30. ^ Coronel-Molina, Serafín M. (2015). Language Ideology, Policy and Planning in Peru. Bristol ; Buffalo: Multilingual Matters. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-78309-424-0.
  31. ^ Rodríguez Torres, J. (2020). Presentation at 'Vigencia y difusión del quechua pentavocálico'. Cuzco.
  32. ^ Samanez Flórez, D.I. (1994). Origen cusqueño de la lengua Quechua: como homenaje al Qosqo, con ocasión del reconocimiento constitucional de su capitalidad histórica. Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua de Qosqo/ Municipalidad del Qosqo.
  33. ^ Coronel Molina, 2015. Op. cit., pp. 121-122.
  34. ^ Coronel-Molina, 2015, Op. cit., pp. 119-120.
  35. ^ Coronel-Molina, Serafín M (December 2008). "Language Ideologies of the High Academy of the Quechua Language in Cuzco, Peru". Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies. 3 (3): 319–340. doi:10.1080/17442220802462477. S2CID 144920896.
  36. ^ Tamayo Vargas, Augusto (1987-06-30). "El Centenario de la Academia Peruana de la Lengua en el dia del idioma (Sesión Pública del 23 de abril de 1987) Palabras del Director de la Academia, Don Augusto Tamayo Vargas". Boletín de la Academia Peruana de la Lengua: 9–11. doi:10.46744/bapl.198701.001. ISSN 2708-2644.
  37. ^ Godenzzi, Juan Carlos (1992). El recurso lingüístico del poder: coartadas ideológicas del castellano y el quechua. Cusco: CERA Bartolomé de las Casas.
  38. ^ First edition as Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua (AMLQ, 1995). Simi taqe : diccionario quechua-español-quechua/ qheswa-español-qheswa. Municipalidad Provincial del Cusco. And second edition published in 2005 by the Gobierno Regional del Cusco.
  39. ^ Cerrón-Palomino, R. (1997). El Diccionario quechua de los académicos: cuestiones lexicográficas, normativas y etimológicas. Revista Andina, 29(1): 151-205.
  40. ^ Azevedo, Valérie Robin; Salazar-Soler, Carmen (2009). El regreso de lo indígena (in Spanish). Instituto Francés de Estudios Andinos ; Centro de Estudios Regionales Andinos Bartolomé de Las Casas, CBC. ISBN 978-9972-623-63-9.
  41. ^ Calvo Pérez, J. (1996). Reseña al Diccionario quechua-español-quechua. IVALCA, 2: 15-19.
  42. ^ Jara Luna, C. (2016). Nueva nomenclatura para componer a futuro el diccionario de uso del quechua cusqueño [Tesis doctoral en lingüística aplicada]. Barcelona, Universidad Pompeu-Fabra, pp. 399-404. URL=<http://hdl.handle.net/10803/392639>
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Publicacions

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  • AMLQ (Academia Mayor de la Lengua Quechua) y Municipalidad del Qosqo (1995): Diccionario Quechua-Español-Quechua/Qheswa-Español-Qheswa Simi Taqe. Cusco. Online version (pdf 7,68 MB).