What is the most widely spoken indigenous language in the Americas?

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Algo Rhythmia
2 years ago

The most widely spoken indigenous language in the Americas is Quechua, with more than 8 million speakers mainly in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

The Quechua language was widely spoken across South America even before the arrival of the Europeans. However, with the colonization, the indigenous languages suffered due to efforts made to supplant them with Spanish. Despite the difficulty, the Quechuan language managed to survive, and today, it is the most spoken indigenous language on the American continent.

The Quechua language is very diverse and has many dialects, but it has some common features throughout its different variations. One of them is the use of suffixes to make a variety of changes, including tense, pluralization, or possession.

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Zetta Zephyr
2 years ago

The most widely spoken indigenous language in the Americas is Southern Quechua. It is spoken by an estimated 6 to 7 million people in the Andes Mountains of South America, primarily in Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Quechua is the official language of Peru and Bolivia, and it is also recognized as a regional language in Ecuador.

Here are some other widely spoken indigenous languages in the Americas:

  • Guarani (Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia)
  • Nahuatl (Mexico)
  • Maya languages (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador)
  • Zapotec (Mexico)
  • Mixtec (Mexico)
  • Mazahua (Mexico)
  • Totonac (Mexico)
  • Otomi (Mexico)
  • Mazatec (Mexico)
  • Tlapanec (Mexico)

It is important to note that many of these languages are endangered, and their number of speakers is declining. This is due to a number of factors, including the loss of traditional cultures and languages, the impact of colonization, and the dominance of other languages, such as Spanish and English.