For most Peruvians, the Incas spoke Quechua, the language that became the official tongue of the vast Inca Empire. Some, more informed, mention that the Incas originally spoke Aymara before adopting Quechua. However, few know that, according to chroniclers and modern studies, it is highly likely that the first Incas who arrived in Cusco spoke neither Quechua nor Aymara, but a much older and mysterious language: Pukina.
This language, recognized by some colonial chroniclers, was considered a “private” or “secret” language, used only by the Incas and their closest kin — a language incomprehensible to the rest of the empire and forbidden to outsiders.
The Divine Language of the Incas
The first mention of this exclusive language appears in the Royal Commentaries of the Incas by Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. In his work, he wrote: “The Incas had another particular language among themselves, which other Indians did not understand nor were allowed to learn, as it was a divine language.” He added that this language was completely lost after the fall of the Inca lineage and their particular “republic.”
Other chroniclers support this idea. Diego Cantos de Andrade (1586), in his “Account of Villa Rica de Oropesa and the Mines of Huancavelica,” noted that the orejones —the Inca nobility— used a different language in their private conversations, and no other subject in the kingdom was allowed to learn it.
Jesuit priest Bernabé Cobo (1582-1657) also recorded that there was a language used only among the Incas and their families, which was forgotten over time and with the new order imposed by the Spanish.
Similarly, Friar Martín de Murúa (1525-1618) stated that the sons of the Inca nobility were first taught the “language of the Inca,” which was different from both Quechua and Aymara, the two general languages of the Andes.
These historical records support the theory that the Inca rulers and their descendants used a language different from Quechua —which has been considered the official language of the empire— a language so exclusive and incomprehensible to most of their subjects that it eventually fell out of use and vanished. Today, experts agree that this language was likely Pukina.
The Forgotten Pukina Language
According to Peruvian linguist Rodolfo Cerrón Palomino, Pukina was neither Quechua nor Aymara. Certain words and names used by the Incas do not have Quechua or Aymara origins, suggesting the existence of a third language. For example, the title “Capac” (great lord), or the name “Inti” (associated with the sun or the east), may have Pukina roots.
Place names such as Moquegua, Arequipa, and Puno are also believed to derive from Pukina rather than Quechua, reinforcing the idea that the Incas’ ancestral language has survived in the region’s toponymy.
Where Was Pukina Spoken?
Documents from the 16th and 17th centuries suggest that Pukina was mainly spoken in southern Peru, extending north to Arequipa, east to Puno and parts of Bolivia (including Lake Titicaca), and south to Iquique in Chile.
The legend of Manco Cápac and his origins at Lake Titicaca supports this theory. Cerrón Palomino suggests that the original Incas spoke Pukina, not Aymara. Upon migrating to Cusco, they entered a region where Aymara was dominant. As a minority, they were forced to learn Aymara to survive and build alliances. Pukina, thus, became reserved for private and ceremonial use.
Over time, by the reign of Pachacútec, the Incas adopted Quechua as the empire’s official language after conquering the Chancas, who already spoke Quechua. Quechua then spread, and Pukina gradually disappeared until it was nearly forgotten.
Toponymic Clues
One of the strongest pieces of evidence for Pukina’s existence lies in Andean place names. Cerrón Palomino identifies words such as:
- “Titi” (sun)
- “Paya” or “Waya” (plain or flatland)
- “Laque” or “Raque” (ravine or gorge)
- “Mora” (center)
- “Cachi” (siege or enclosure — not “salt” as it means in Quechua)
These words form the foundation of many place names from Inca times to the present. For instance, “Hachacachi” does not mean “great salt” as it would in Quechua, but rather “great siege” in Pukina. “Titicachi” would mean “sun enclosure,” not necessarily “rock of the puma” as popularly believed.
Cerrón concludes that these names are traces of a third language —Pukina— distinct from Quechua and Aymara. Their presence in towns and religious centers confirms Pukina’s importance and use during pre-Inca and Inca times.
Rethinking History
Acknowledging the existence of Pukina as the ancestral and secret language of the Incas forces us to rethink our history. Traditionally, it has been believed that the Inca legacy was entirely in Quechua or, at best, Aymara. However, linguistic evidence and chroniclers’ accounts reveal the existence of this sacred, forgotten language.
Today, almost extinct, Pukina survives only in place names and a few scattered words — a reminder that the history of the Inca Empire is far richer and more complex than commonly taught.