ˈkechwə noun
also qui·chua ˈkēch- ; or kech·ua or ki·chua
( plural quechua or quechuas )
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: Spanish, from Quechua kkechúwa plunderer, despoiler, robber
1.
a. : a people of central Peru believed to be originally Aymara
b. : a member of such people
2. : a group of peoples constituting the dominant element of the Inca empire
3.
a. : the language of the Quechua people that is also widely spoken by other Indian peoples of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina
b. : a language family comprising the Quechua language