Words and Wisdom of the Sea: The Indigenous Lexicon of the La Libertad Coast (Peru) in a Historical Perspective

Abstract A detailed examination of words that can be attributed to Quingnam, the ancient language of Chimor, in Peru’s North Coast, reveals a marked preponderance of sea-related terms. The words of possible Quingnam origin that we have identified refer to activities such as fishing and totora cultivation and make meticulous distinctions between animal and plant species populating the coast. Along with the physical proximity of the Pacific Ocean and its natural resources, this emphasis may also have historical causes, rooted in the role of traditional fishing communities in the structure of colonial domination and their degree of agency therein. Our study combines an assessment of linguistic sources with the application of ethnographically oriented lexical surveys, and dialogues with the scant data on northern Peruvian fishing communities provided by colonial sources.