THE ANÓNIMO DE PRAGA. CONTRIBUTIONS OF A COLONIAL TEXT TO THE CURRENT ECUADORIAN QUICHUA

Abstract

The Anónimo de Praga is a succinct handwritten grammar of Ecuadorian Quichua, presumably from the 18th century. The work is cited in the monumental bibliography of Rivet and Créqui-Montfort and has so far received three editions. This paper seeks to rescue the outstanding aspects of this text that constitutes one of the founding documents for the study of the variant corresponding to Ecuadorian Quichua. By reviewing the manuscript and comparing it with the three existing editions, the linguistics and lexical elements that contribute to the understanding of many other aspects of Ecuadorian Quichua are analyzed. Divergent or absent elements in the current variant will be highlighted, in order to enrich the linguistic revitalization efforts carried out by the speakers themselves.