In:Bridging Boundaries: Interdisciplinary perspectives on Hispanic Linguistics
Edited by Gregory L. Thompson and Scott M. Alvord
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 46] 2026
► pp. 139–164
Chapter 6Somos qhariwarmis
The intersection of gender and indigeneity in the language of bilingual Quechua and Spanish speakers
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This chapter analyzes the linguistic connections
between social identities in the region of Cusco, Peru. The
investigator conducted sociolinguistic interviews to learn how
indigenous people in the LGBTQ+ community use Andean features to
express themselves and index their identity. The features studied
are the use of pues, the use of gerunds, the use of
diminutives, and the use of lo as an arch morpheme.
The goal in this study is to analyze how participants’ use of Andean
features in Spanish correlates with their self-identified gender and
sexuality. The results show that the LGBTQ+ participants used fewer
Andean features on average, and it is possible that this is due to
the association of rural spaces and Quechua speakers with a
perceived higher rate of discrimination against those who do not
follow the expectations of gender performance and sexuality of their
community. However, it is not as simple as an urban or rural divide
because each community has their own history and values that shape
these expectations. Though this study is exploratory in scope, we
hope to encourage further research regarding the relationship
between language and identity in lesser-studied communities and
intersections of marginalized identities.
Keywords: Quechua, language contact, LGBTQ+, indigeneity, gender, positive identity practice
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Gender roles and the conquest of the Spanish
- 3.The current study
- 4.Methods
- 5.Results and discussion
- 6.Conclusion
- Author queries
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