Quechua in Tantamayo (Peru): toward a ‘‘social archaeology’’ of language* ROSALEEN HOWARD Abstract This paper examines the use and status of the Quechua language in central highland Peru, where varieties of the ‘‘Quechua I’’ subgroup are spoken. The discussion centers on a case study of Tantamayo Quechua, spoken in the province of Huamalı ´es, department of Hua ´nuco. After a brief overview of formal features of the language, the paper complements Hornberger and Coronel-Molina’s article by exploring issues of language attitudes, lan- guage shift and language-status planning with reference to a specific geo- graphic case study. It furthermore seeks to identify some of the sociopsy- chological factors that contribute to language endangerment in the context of globalization. 1. Introduction The jeep pulled up some way out of town. A landslide had smothered a stretch of the road in front of us, and we were going to have to get out and walk the rest of the route, carrying our gear. I climbed out to stretch my legs and gaze at the view. Tantamayo nestled just ahead: its red tiled houses clustered around a central plaza, dominated by a fine colonial church. Across the valley, the pre-Inka ruins of Hapalla ´n, Piruru, and Susupillu crowned the horizon. The drop to the River Tantamayo, close to its junction with the churning waters of the Upper Maran ˜o ´n, is pre- cipitous. In this landscape, you don’t walk far without negotiating im- pressive gradients. 1 A local person approached me and we began to chat. I was quick to show my interest in Quechua. The man obliged by pointing across the valley to a person who could be seen ascending the hill: ‘‘yarkaykaamun’’ (‘he’s coming up’) he said, adopting a didactic tone. 2 The year was 1982. I had been a student of Quechua since 1974, but always concentrating 0165–2516/04/0167–0095 6 Walter de Gruyter Int’l. J. Soc. Lang. 167 (2004), pp. 95–118 !rought to you by | Newcastle University Authenticated | 128.240.233.146 Download Date | 7/13/14 3:22 AM