Inka (All Terms)

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, SteveGullberg

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The Four Suyus of the Inca Empire. In red the Imperial Province of Chinchansuyu, in green Antisuyu, in blue Collasuyu, in orange Cuntisuyu.

Inka are peoples in the Americas. The English and Spanish spelling "Inca" is considered offensive by some due to colonial history. They like to be spelt "Inka".

This compilation of terms and their spelling variants was compiled by Steven R. Gullberg and Susanne M Hoffmann based on the following literature:

1. Gary Urton (1981). At the Crossroads of the Earth and Sky: An Andean Cosmology (University of Texas Press)
2. Steven R. Gullberg (2020). Astronomy of the Inca Empire: Use and Significance of the Sun and the Night Sky (Springer)
3. Steven R Gullberg and Milton Rojas (2024). Inca Cosmovision: The Astronomical Legacy of an Andean Empire (Springer)

Solar System Names

Traditional Terms	Transliteration	English	commentary
		Sun
		Moon
		Mercury
		Venus
		Mars
		Jupiter
		Saturn

Names of Stars and Constellations

Original	Language of Origin	Pronounce	English	Note
Alto pina ch'aska			" star which is already high" [i.e., in the zenith]	A 1st and 2nd magnitude star or planet in the "zenith" at midnight
Amaru			“The Serpent”	Scorpius
Amaru contor			the serpent changing to the condor	Scorpius
Aquayoq and Catuilla				a constellation
Arado	Spanish		plough	Scorpius
Atoq			The Fox	a dark constellation
Boca de Sapo	Spanish		"mouth of the toad"	Hyades
Boleadora			a lasso with three balls at the end; also a "thief'	Shooting stars
Cabanuelas			"small hut, cottage"	Pleiades (?)
Calvario Cruz	Spanish		the cross of Calvary	(a) head of Scorpius (b) Betelgeuse, Rigel, Sirius, and Procyon (c) Procyon, Castor, Belt of Orion, 13 T auri (d) Belt of Orion, T Orionis, and Rigel
Ch`aka Tinkucheq				Orion's Belt+ Betelgeuse and Rigel
Ch`aska Punchu		Chasqa Punchu	Poncho of the Stars	the seven bright stars of Orion
Ch`askamayu				Milky Way
Ch’aska Waraqa				stars in the tail of Scorpius
Chacra				A cultivation area; Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Rigel, and Saiph.
Chakana			“The Bridge” or "Stars"	(1) Orion’s Belt (2) ε, δ, and η Canis Major
Chaqana		Ch`akana		Southern Cross
Chasca Cuyllor			“Morning Star” “Evening Star”	Venus
Ch'aska				a constellation
Ch'aska plata			" silver star"	Shooting stars
Chaska Waraqa Mach`aqway			the flame in the eyes of llamaqñawin	α and β Centauri
Ch'issin ch'aska			"evening star"	1st and 2nd magnitude stars and a planet
Choquechinchay			"golden cat"	Tail of Scorpio (or dark spot inside tail?)
Chuchuqoyllor				a constellation
Chuquichinchay				a constellation
Contor			condor
Coscotoca ch'aska			"star of the two equal parts"	A 1st and 2nd magnitude star or planet in the "zenith" at midnight
Flagstone Hayquna				a constellation
Foot				a constellation
Hanp’atu			The Toad	a dark constellation
Hatun Coyllur			"large star"	Sirius
Hatun Cruz			“The Great Cross”	(a) Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse (b) Procyon, Castor, η and μ Gemini
Hatun llamaytoq			the great large llama	a dark streak between the coal-sack and eps Sco
Huaman	Qechua			Alnitak
Huchuy Cruz	Qechua & Spanish		“The Small Cross”	The Southern Cross
K 'olli			?	unidentified small dark spot
Kapuwara Wara				a constellation
Khaswa Coyllur			"circle dance star(s)"	(a) γ, o, κ, λ Vela (b) Corona Borealis (?)
Kotu Sankha				Hyades + Aldebaran
Laja Haykuna				in Argo Navis, means entry into the darkness
Linun Cruz	Spanish		Linun = Lat. lignum; "wooden cross" or "the crucifixion cross"	head of Scorpius
Llama			llama	Large dark streak between the Coalsack and ε Scorpii
Llama Cancha			"Llama corral"
Llamacñawin			“The Eyes of the Llama”	α and β Centauri
lllarimi ch 'aska			"dawn star"	any 1st or 2nd mag star or planet at dawn
Locero			moning star, Venus	In Yucay, one infonnant talked of pachaypaqa locero ("dawn morning star"); an informant in Lucre called both the morning and evening stars "locero."
Mach`aqway		Machacuay	the Serpent	a dark constellation
Mallki				in Aries
Mama Rosario	Spanish		Mother Rosary	unidentified bright nebulosity in the Milky Way
Mamana micuc			"(the one who) eats his mother"	ξ, π, σ, ν, τ Puppis
Mayu				a constellation
Michij runa			a shepherd	a dark constellation
Ñawin Cristo			"the eyes of Christ"	α and β Centauri
Ombligo de la llama			umbilicus of the llama	narrow, curving dark streak from alf Cen south and curving up to tet Sco
Onqoy			"Desease", an alternative name for Qollca
Orqorara			three stars all the same	"Three Marias", Orion's Belt
Orqorara and Ranch				a constellation
Pachapacariq Chaska			“The Venus of the Western Suyu”	(1) Canopus (2) Altair
Pachapacariq ch'aska			"dawn of the earth"	One Sonqo informant rereferred to pachai/larimi ch'aska ("dawn of the earth star"); it might be any bright object ...
Papa Dios Cruz	Spanish		"the cross of God the father"	head of Scorpius
Passon Cruz	Spanish		the cross of the Passion
Pisqa Collea			the five storehouses	between Orion and the Hyades
Pisqa Coyllur			the five star(s)	Hyades
Posuqu			foam	bright stellar clouds in the southern Milky Way
Puma Yunta				in Gemini - eyes Castor and Pollux
Qatachillay		Catachillay	“Female Llama with Lamb”	Altair and Deneb
Qollca		Collca	“The Storehouse”
Qoqamanqa			pot of coca	a constellation
Qosqo and Qurawasi			Crossover Stars	a constellation
Quntur	Qechua		condor	Mintaka
Qutu			pile	Pleiades
Santissima Cruz	Spanish		“The Sacred Cross”	α, β, δ, π, and σ Scorpii
Saramanqa			pot of maiz (corn)	a constellation
Sonaja			tambourine, rattle	Corona Borealis
Sullu ullucu			aborted ullucu
Suyuntu and Huaman				a constellation
Suyuntuy	Qechua			Alnilam
Torito	Spanish		" little bull"	A star or planet in the "zenith" at midnight; torito is also the name of the " rhinoceros beetle" (Dynastinae)
Uñallamacha			The Baby Llama	a dark constellation
Urpi			dove	coalsack
Urquchillay		Urcuchillay	“Llama of Many Colors”	Lyra
Yaqana		Yacana	The Llama	a dark constellation
Yaqumama				a constellation
Yuthu		Yutu	The Tinamou	(1) Coalsack, SE of Southern Cross (2) dark spot outlined by the tail of Sco (3) dark spot near Scutum
Yutucruz	Qechua-Spanish		"tinamou cross"	Southern Cross