QUECHUA: INTRODUCTION TO GRAMMAR AND TEXTS 3700-CW1-AL-OG

The course is primarily aimed to teach students the basics of Quechua grammar (including phonology, morphology and syntax) and introduce them to different phenomena resulting from the prolonged contact of Quechua with Spanish language. In addition, students will have a general acquaintance with Andean culture, both of pre-conquest and modern periods: religious beliefs and practices, traditional economy, gender roles and other aspects. The modern sociolinguistic situation around Quechua and efforts for its revalorization and modernization will be also discussed.
After a brief introduction to the subject in general and to the Quechua phonology, students will be introduced step by step to the complicity of Quechua morphology and syntax. The features of the Quechua grammar will be firstly analyzed on the example of simple and adapted phrases. Next, students will be asked to read and translate authentic Quechua texts from the colonial period, mainly those contained in the Manuscript of Huarochiri (ca. 1598). Students will be also given homework, after each class, beginning from the third or forth lesson. The homework will mainly consist of phrases for translation from and into Quechua (the latter is crucial in learning Quechua patterns of inflection and sentence construction). During the first stages of the course, the textbook of G. Taylor on Huarochiri Quechua (2001) will be the principal one; later, in accordance to progress of the studies, references to the grammars of Parker (1969), Cusihuaman (1976) and possibly other authors will be also included. Students will be provided with a number of Quechua dictionaries (in digital form), which will help them to translate and analyze Quechua texts of different periods and places of origin.
The course will be taught in two main formats, lecture and exercising, combined with each other during most of the course. At the first stage, the lecture format will prevail, but as the students will acquire more language skills, exercising will take more time of a lesson. Every lesson will start with a lecture, in which the teacher will concentrate on explanation of a certain topic of Quechua grammar to the students. Exercising will primarily consist of translation and detailed examination of Quechua texts in open form under teacher's guidance.

Type of course

general courses

Prerequisites (description)

Prerequisites Formal prerequisites Good knowledge of English and a basic knowledge of linguistic terminology in English – required. Knowledge of Spanish – desirable

Learning outcomes

Knowledge:
- basic knowledge of Quechua grammar and lexicon (phonology, inflective and derivative morphology, syntax);
- basic knowledge of changes occurred in Quechua due to the contact with Spanish (loanwords and their adaptation, semantic changes, syntactic patterns);
- basic knowledge of linguistic terminology as applied to Amerindian languages and Quechua in particular;
- basic knowledge of sociolinguistic situation in Andean countries;
- general notion of the indigenous culture of the Central Andes (beliefs, customs, traditional economy, etc.)
- general notion of geography and history of the region.
Skills:
- translation of simple source texts from Quechua to English and Polish;
- analysis of original Quechua texts from linguistic and cultural points of view;
- ability to discuss cultural and linguistic issues, including presenting logical argumentation and drawing critical conclusions.
Social competence:
- developed awareness of the importance of the comprehensive nature of language in philological and cultural studies;
- understanding the importance of linguistic and cultural heritage of indigenous prople of America;
- understanding the need for and principles of team work in an interdisciplinary group;
- learning and understanding the main challenges involved in study of culture and relations between civilizations.

Assessment criteria

Students' achievements will be estimated according to the level of their participation in lessons, preparation of homework* and two written exams at the end of each semester. Two unexcused absences per semester are allowed.
*Only the fact of accomplishing homework will influence student's grading, but not the level of its correctness.

Bibliography

Taylor, Gerald. 2001. Huarochiri: Introducción a la lengua general (quechua). Lima: IFEA.
Parker, Gary J. 1969. Ayacucho Quechua, grammar and dictionary. The Hague, Paris: Mouton.
Cusihuaman, Antonio. 1976. Gramática quechua: Cuzco-Collao. Lima: Ministerio de Educación, Instituto de Estudios Peruanos.
Aráoz, Dora and Américo Salas. 1993. Manual de gramática quechua: pautas fundamentales. Cuzco: Instituto de Pastoral Andina.
Guaman Poma de Ayala, Felipe. 2004 [1615]. El Primer Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno. John V. Murra and Rolena Adorno (eds.), with translations by Jorge L. Urioste [1980]. Online edition by Rolena Adorno and Ivan Boserup. http://www.kb.dk/permalink/2006/poma/info/en/frontpage.htm
Mannheim, Bruce. 1991. The Language of the Inka since the European Invasion. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press.
Valderrama Fernández, R. and C. Escalante Gutiérrez. 1992. Gregorio Condori Mamani: Autobiografía. Cuzco: Municipalidad del Cuzco.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

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Description of 3700-CW1-AL-OG in USOSweb