Wechua language
|
This article or section is a work in progress. The information below may be incomplete, outdated, or subject to change. |
| Runasimi | |
| Runa Simi | |
| Nunasimi | |
| Pronunciation | [ˈwɛtʃwa] |
|---|---|
| Spoken natively in |
 Nouvelle Alexandrie |
| Region | Central Keltia, primarily around Mount Lacara |
| Ethnicity | Wechua |
| Number of speakers | 48-69 million |
| Language family |
Wechu language family
|
| Writing system | Wechua alphabet (modified Audente script) |
| Proto-Wechu | |
| Dialects | Lacara Wechu, Coastal Wechu, Rodinia Wechu, Northern Wechu, Southern Wechu |
| Official status | |
| Official language in |
Nouvelle Alexandrie |
Recognised minority language in |
|
| Regulated by | Royal Academy of the Wechua Language (Qhapaq Runasimi Yachay Wasi) |
| Language codes | |
| MOS-9 codes | wch |
The Wechua language (Runasimi or Runa Simi, "people's language") is an indigenous language spoken primarily by the Wechua people of central Keltia, particularly in the Wechua Nation region of the Federation of Nouvelle Alexandrie. It is one of the official languages of Nouvelle Alexandrie alongside Alexandrian and Martino. Wechua is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Nouvelle Alexandrie, with approximately 48-69 million speakers.
The language originated in the central highlands of Keltia around Mount Lacara and has evolved through centuries of cultural development, conquest, and displacement. Its most common dialect is Lacara Wechu, though several other significant varieties exist, including Coastal Wechu, which developed separately among Wechua communities forcibly relocated to western Keltia during the Atteran era.
History
The Wechua language developed among indigenous communities in central Keltia, primarily around the sacred Mount Lacara and along the Rodinia river valleys. Linguistic evidence suggests the language has been spoken in the region for many centuries, evolving through multiple stages of development.
During the era of Atteran domination, the language was affected by policies designed to fracture Wechua cultural unity. The Atteran Empire's mass relocation of Wechua populations to western Keltia led to the development of divergent dialects, particularly Coastal Wechu, which incorporated elements from neighboring linguistic groups.
Following the collapse of the Atteran Empire, Wechua communities experienced periods of fragmentation under various successor states and during times of chaos when their territories fell within the unrecognized Keltian Green. These historical disruptions had significant impacts on the language, leading to the development of regional variations.
The establishment of the first Wechua state in 1657 AN marked the beginning of language revitalization efforts. However, these were interrupted by the collapse of this state during the White Plague and the ensuing period known as the Wechua Sorrow. The language experienced its strongest revival during the Great Restoration beginning in 1673 AN.
Since the formation of the Federation of Nouvelle Alexandrie in 1685 AN, when the Wechua Nation united with Alduria, the Wechua language has enjoyed official status and institutional support. This has led to standardization efforts, expanded educational programs, and growth in literature and media.
Geographic distribution
Wechua is spoken primarily throughout the Wechua Nation region of Nouvelle Alexandrie, concentrated in the central highlands around Mount Lacara and the Rodinia river valleys. Significant populations of Wechua speakers also exist in Alduria and other regions of Nouvelle Alexandrie.
Outside Nouvelle Alexandrie, notable Wechua-speaking populations reside in:
Constancia - approximately 2.9 million speakers;
Natopia - approximately 1.7 million speakers.
Coastal Wechu is primarily spoken in the San Francisco enclave and surrounding areas, formerly part of Caputia before its collapse due to the White Plague. Smaller communities of Coastal Wechu speakers have established settlements in Alduria, Constancia, and Natopia after fleeing the insecurity of the Keltian Green.
Official status
Wechua holds official language status in the Federation of Nouvelle Alexandrie, where it is recognized alongside Alexandrian and Martino. The Proclamation of Punta Santiago, which established the federation in 1685 AN, explicitly protects and promotes the Wechua language as part of the nation's cultural heritage.
The language enjoys strong institutional support, including mandatory education in all public schools within the Wechua Nation region, optional language courses throughout other regions of Nouvelle Alexandrie, government documentation and services provided in Wechua, as well as media broadcasts and publications supported by government funding. Academic research centers dedicated to linguistic preservation and development also exist.
Dialects and varieties
Classical Wechu
Classical Wechu (Ñawpa Simi, Qhapaq Simi, or Classical Wechua) is an archaic register of the language that served as the administrative, religious, and legal tongue of pre-Atteran Wechua civilization. Though no longer spoken natively, Classical Wechua retains legal force in Nouvelle Alexandrie for certain categories of property rights, noble succession, and religious matters.
The register developed among the priestly and administrative classes of early Wechua society, centered on Mount Lacara. Classical Wechua employed an expanded vocabulary for legal, astronomical, and theological concepts, along with grammatical structures more complex than those found in vernacular speech. The language was encoded in quipu records by specialized keepers known as quipucamayoc, who documented land boundaries, tribute obligations, genealogies, and religious calendars.
Classical Wechua differs from modern Wechua in vocabulary, grammar, and phonology. Native speakers of contemporary dialects cannot understand Classical Wechua without formal training. Scholars estimate that a speaker of Lacara Wechu would recognize only 60-70% of Classical Wechua vocabulary, with the remainder requiring specialized study. The phonology preserves a three-way contrast between plain, aspirated, and ejective stops that has collapsed to a two-way distinction in most modern varieties.
The Proclamation of Punta Santiago recognizes the continued validity of traditional documentation for matters predating the federation's establishment. As of 1750 AN, only 47 certified quipucamayoc are authorized to provide legally binding interpretations of Classical Wechua texts, creating significant backlogs in cases involving ancestral land claims, noble succession disputes, and religious property matters. The Tribunal of Traditional Claims reported an average wait time of 14 months for quipu authentication in 1749 AN.
