The Languages of the Andes

Cambridge Language Surveys

by Willem F.H. Adelaar, Pieter Muysken, Stephen R. Anderson (Editor)

The Andean and Pacific regions of South America are home to a remarkable variety of languages and language families, with a range of typological differences. Documenting the indigenous languages of this region, as well as of adjacent areas, Willem Andelaar and Pieter Muysken provide historical as well as contemporary information about the languages of the Andes. Illustrated with detailed grammatical sketches, their book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of linguistics and anthropology.

Genres: Language

745 pages, ebook

First published June 10, 2004

Reviews

[Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dense, has a nice introduction on Andean history and geography. References, and bibliography are huge. I read it because I am interested in a supposed secret language Incas nobility had. But it does not get into speculations, there are some early European accounts that says so, but it does not go any further. The mentioned language “Puquina” was a general knowledge language on southern Peru that was already disappearing even before Europeans set foot on the Andes.