San Martín Quechua

Facts

  • Language: San Martín Quechua
  • Alternate names: Lamista, Lamista Quechua
  • Language code: qvs
  • Language family: Quechuan, Peripheral Quechua, Chinchay, Northern Chinchay (SIL classification)
  • Number of speakers: 15,000
  • Vulnerability: Endangered
  • Script: Latin script.

More information:

    Traditional religion, Christian.

    The question of how to distinguish between entities that are dialects of a single language vs. that are separate languages is particularly serious in the case of Quechuan languages and dialects, and much work remains to be done. Though it is well-known and very clear that there are a number of distinct languages in Quechuan, some very distinct, the tendency to consider them all merely dialects of “Quechua” persists in many circles. (Cerrón-Palomino 1987.)