The formation of the Kallawaya language

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, I will discuss the question of the formation of the mixed and secret Kallawaya language, spoken by traditional herbalists at Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. The parental languages of Kallawaya are Southern Quechua (Quechua IIC), which provided the grammar, and now-extinct Pukina, which presumably supplied the lexicon. I argue that Kallawaya arose from lexical re-orientation, having been created by Quechua native speakers. As such it does not present an instance of selective replication (Matras 2000). To support this claim, I will discuss lexical, grammatical, and structural evidence. In contrast to what has been claimed by Stark (1972), only a small part of the Kallawaya lexicon links to Pukina. Moreover, the Kallawaya grammar is as good as identical to that of Southern Quechua but contains some grammatical markers that do not trace back to Quechua or Aymara. It is the aim of this paper to concentrate on these deviant markers, investigating possible relationships with Pukina. I will show that demonstrated links to Pukina are scarce and that the formation of Kallawaya is better explained as a case of lexical re-orientation.