IgrewupinCanadaandintheUnitedStates.Iwasalwaysinterestedinlanguages.InthecommunitieswhereIlived,manylanguageswerespokenallthetime.Ilovelanguagessomuch,Ibecamealinguisticanthropologist.That’sapersonwhostudieslanguagesfromaroundtheworld.I’minterestedinhowlanguagesareused,howtheychange,andhowtheyconnectustothepeoplearound us.

OnedaywhenIwasincollege,Ihadacrazyidea.Wouldn’titbeinterestingtodiscoveranewlanguage?Iknow.Itsoundscrazy.Yet,it’s possible.

Languagesdon’tstaythesame.Overtime,theychange.Somechangetothepointwhereanewversioniscreatedthatisnotlikeanythingelsethathaseverbeenspokenbefore.Tofindsuchathing,youhavetobeattherightplaceattherighttime.IhadanideawhereImightlook:Peru,inSouth America.

InaregionofPerucalledPuno,peoplespeaktwoindigenouslanguages.Anindigenouslanguageisalanguagethatisnativetoaspecificplace.Itisspokenbythepeoplewholivethere.Puno’slanguagesareQuechuaand Aymara.

InPuno,peoplehavebeenspeakingQuechuaandAymaraforcenturies.Today,morethan40percentofthepeopletherespeakQuechua.Morethan30percentspeakAymara.TherestspeakSpanish.Youheartheselanguagesinthemarketandatfestivalsandcelebrations.ButIwonderedif,overtime,QuechuaandAymaramighthaveblendedtogetherheretobecomeanew language.

Learn a little Quechua or Aymara.Try these useful words and phrases:

Quechua:

Imanaylla kashanki?

(i‑ma‑naa-ya ka‑shan‑kee)

Aymara:

Kamisaraki

(ka-mee-sa-ra-kee)

English:

How are you?

PunooverlooksLakeTiticaca,thelargest,deepestlakeinthe Andes.

LivingtheHighLife

Totestmytheory,Ipackedmybackpackwithnotebooksandmybestaudiorecorderand microphone.

InthesouthernmostpartofthePeruvianAndes,borderingBolivia,istheAltiplano.InSpanish,thismeans“highandflat.”It’sahigh,dryplateau,hometosnow‑cappedmountains.ItisalsohometoLakeTiticaca,thehighestnavigablelakeinthe world.

ThecommunitiesinPunoaremorethan3,800meters(approximately2.5miles)abovesealevel.Youknowthatthisishighbecauseyoucanfeeltheeffectsonyourbody.There’slessoxygenupthere.Itmakesbreathing hard.

coca tea

Aymara:

Walikiwa

(wa‑li‑kee-wa)

Quechua:

Allinmi

(al‑yeen‑mee)

English:

Iam good.

WhenIfirstarrivedinPuno,Icouldfeelmyselfbreathingfasterandfeelingdizzy.LaterIfeltnauseousandhadaheadache.Theseareallsymptomsofwhatpeopletherecallsorrocha,oraltitudesickness.I quicklylearnedthelocalremedyforthis:coca tea.Icarriedtheleaveswithmeanddranktheteaintheevenings.Afterafewdays,mybodyadjustedtothealtitude,andIfelt better.

Thatwasn’ttheonlythingIhadtoadjustto,though.Beinghigherintheskyalsomeansthatyouhavelessozoneprotectingyoufromthestrongultra violetraysofthesun.PeopleintheAltiplanonevergooutwithouttheirbigsunhatsthathelpprotectthemfromthesun’sstrong rays.

Mountainsloominthedistanceofthisroadside market.

07/07/2024 10:13:32