Learning New Words in the Indigenous Tongue of Kichwa

The indigenous people (las indígenas) of Ecuador speak the indigenous language of Kichwa. Here are some indigenous words I’ve recently learned:

Wambra → el joven / el niño → youth / child

Pachamama → A tough definition to explain. It possesses a meaning that encompasses the natural world, the industries that have been developed, the land, the people, aka the life and world.

Abya Yala → Americas (describing North, Central, and South Americas)

Sumak Kawsay → El buen vivir → Good living. Holistic care of all parts of life from food, shelter, health, family and friends, work—everything.

Fishy/Fishy Nice* → superior → pretentious / smug

Chumada → borracho → drunk

*So this isn’t actually how it’s spelled but I swear, it’s how it’s pronounced. When Anita told me this, she also made this weird gesture with her fingers near her nose as if something smelled… Like fish? Like ass? Like a douche with something up his ass? This is how I remember new words.