UC Berkeley

This dictionary documents the lexicon of Iquito, an indigenous language of northern Peruvian Amazonia. Iquito is a member of the Zaparoan language family, whose other members include Andoa, Arabela, and Sápara (also known as Záparo). Formerly spoken in a large region between the Tigre and Napo Rivers in what is now the departamento of Loreto, Peru, Iquito is currently spoken by a small number of elders in communities on or near the Pintuyacu River, four of whom, Jaime Pacaya Inuma, Ema Llona Yareja, Hermenegildo Díaz Cuyasa, and Ligia Inuma Inuma, contributed the broad linguistic, cultural, and historical knowledge documented in this dictionary. This dictionary serves not only as a comprehensive record of the Iquito lexicon; it also documents the unpredictable allomorphy and grammatical features of Iquito lexemes, and describes aspects of Iquito culture relevant to understanding their use and meanings. A glossary of Loretano Spanish terms used in the definitions is also provided.