jaqaru

Jaqaru, also spelled Jaqarú or Jaqaro, is an indigenous language of Peru spoken by the Jaqaru people in the central highlands. It is generally classified within the Aymaran language family, though some scholars debate its exact position and consider it a distinct branch related to Aymaran languages rather than a direct descendant of Aymara. The language has a long-standing cultural presence among its speakers and has contributed to regional oral literature and ritual life.

The number of speakers is small and concentrated in a few communities; like many indigenous languages of the Andes, Jaqaru is endangered as younger generations shift to Spanish. Bilingualism is common, and intergenerational transmission is inconsistent. The language is taught in some local schools and in community programs, and has received linguistic documentation from academic researchers.

Jaqaru uses the Latin script for orthography and has descriptive grammars, dictionaries, and texts produced since the mid-20th century. It exhibits features typical of Andean languages, including complex verbal morphology with suffixal markers and a system of evidential or aspect markers. The language exists in regional varieties that differ in phonology and lexicon.

Efforts to revitalize Jaqaru include bilingual education projects, community-led language nests and literacy materials, and documentation initiatives supported by universities and cultural organizations. These aim to support language transmission, cultural heritage, and access to Jaqaru in education and media.