South Bolivian Quechua
The Quechua of the Bolivian highlands. The largest Quechua variety by national share of speakers and one of Bolivia's recognised official languages.
Cusco Quechua
Also known as: Qusqu Runasimi
The Quechua of the Cusco region in southern Peru. Often used as a reference variety for Southern Quechua and the medium of much of modern Quechua-language media.
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Frequently asked questions
What language is Cusco Quechua?
Cusco Quechua is a dialect of the Quechua language.
Where is Cusco Quechua spoken?
Cusco Quechua is primarily spoken in Peru.
Which region is Cusco Quechua associated with?
Cusco Quechua is part of the Latin America & the Caribbean region on DialectAtlas.
Is Cusco Quechua known by other names?
Yes — Cusco Quechua is also referred to as Qusqu Runasimi.
What are the other dialects of Quechua?
Quechua also includes Bolivian Quechua, Kichwa. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Quechua dialects
See on the atlas →Ecuadorian Quichua
The Northern Quechua varieties of Ecuador, often spelled Kichwa. Distinct in vowel inventory and verb morphology from Southern Peruvian and Bolivian Quechua.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →386 km away
An Arawakan language spoken in the central Peruvian Amazon and adjacent western Brazil. The most-spoken Amazonian Arawakan language, with around 100,000 speakers.
527 km away
The Aymara of La Paz and the Lake Titicaca basin. The most-spoken Aymara variety and the basis for most published Aymara literature.
574 km away
The Spanish of the Andean highlands across Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Heavily influenced in pronunciation, grammar, and lexicon by Quechua and Aymara.
620 km away
The Aymara of southern Bolivia and northern Chile. Distinct in vowel realisation and lexicon from the La Paz variety.
637 km away
The largest Panoan language, of the Ucayali river basin in the Peruvian Amazon. Around 30,000 speakers; well known internationally through Shipibo-Konibo art and the ayahuasca traditions.
756 km away
The Spanish of Bolivia, internally split between Andean (La Paz, Cochabamba) and Lowland Camba (Santa Cruz) varieties. Heavy contact features from Quechua and Aymara in the highlands.