English words from Quechua
5 English words with Quechua in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
condor
It is borrowed from Spanish cóndor, from Quechua kuntur.
jerkin
1. The word for the jacket is of uncertain origin. Several dictionaries call it unknown, and Klein uncertain. The OED, revised in 2019, thinks it probably related to Dutch jurk (“child's outer…
jerky
1. The adjective is formed from English jerk + -y, from the noun jerk, a sudden sharp pull or movement. The noun comes from the verb jerk, recorded from the 16th century and of uncertain origin…
lagniappe
It is a Louisiana French spelling of American Spanish la ñapa “the gift, the addition”, from ñapa, yapa, from Quechua yapa (“something added”), from yapay “to give more”.
puma
It is borrowed from Spanish puma, from Quechua puma. Barnhart and Etymonline place the Quechua word in Peru, among the Incas. The Spanish word is recorded in 1602, in a passage that was translated…