Inka (All Terms)

Inka are peoples in the Americas. 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)

Original	Language of Origin	Pronounce	English	Note	Source
Santissima Cruz	Spanish		“The Sacred Cross”	α, β, δ, π, and σ Scorpii
Amaru			“The Serpent”	Scorpius
Llamacñawin			“The Eyes of the Llama”	α and β Centauri
Huchuy Cruz	Qechua & Spanish		“The Small Cross”	The Southern Cross
Hatun Cruz			“The Great Cross”	(a) Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse (b) Procyon, Castor, η and μ Gemini
Qollca		Collca	“The Storehouse”	(a) The Pleiades (also Qutu, The Pile) (b) The Hyades (also Pisqacollca, The Five Storehouses) (c) The tail of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ, and υ Scorpii)
Onqoy			"Desease", an alternative name for Qollca
Chakana			“The Bridge”	(1) Orion’s Belt (2) ε, δ, and η Canis Major
Pachapacariq Chaska			“The Venus of the Western Suyu”	(1) Canopus (2) Altair
Urquchillay		Urcuchillay	“Llama of Many Colors”	Lyra
Qatachillay		Catachillay	“Female Llama with Lamb”	Altair and Deneb
Chasca Cuyllor			“Morning Star” “Evening Star”	Venus
Mach`aqway		Machacuay	the Serpent	a dark constellation
Chaska Waraqa Mach`aqway			the flame in the eyes of llamaqñawin	α and β Centauri
Hanp’atu			The Toad	a dark 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
Yaqana		Yacana	The Llama	a dark constellation
Uñallamacha			The Baby Llama	a dark constellation
Atoq			The Fox	a dark constellation
Michij runa			a shepherd	a dark constellation
Chuquichinchay				a constellation
Choquechinchay				a constellation
Mayu				a constellation
Quntur				a constellation
Suyuntu and Huaman				a constellation
Orqorara and Ranch				a constellation
Foot				a constellation
Ch`aska Punchu		Chasqa Punchu	Poncho of the Stars	the seven bright stars of Orion
Chaqana		Ch`akana		Southern Cross
Chaska				a constellation
Aquayoq and Catuilla				a constellation
Chuchuqoyllor				a constellation
Mallki				in Aries
Kotu Sankha				Hyades + Aldebaran
Puma Yoke				in Gemini
Flagstone Hayquna				a constellation
Kapuwara Wara				a constellation
Ch’aska Waraqa				stars in the tail of Scorpius
Laja Haykuna				in Argo
Yaqumama				a constellation
Qosqo and Qurawasi			Crossover Stars	a constellation
Ch`askamayu				Milky Way
Orqorara			three stars all the same	"Three Marias", Orion's Belt
Quntur			condor	Mintaka	Quechua
Suyuntuy				Alnilam	Quechua
Huaman				Alnitak	Quechua
Ch`aka Tinkucheq				Orion's Belt+ Betelgeuse and Rigel
Saramanqa			pot of maiz (corn)	a constellation
Qoqamanqa			pot of coca	a constellation
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
Boleadora			a lasso with three balls at the end; also a "thief'	Shooting stars
Ch'aska plata			" silver star"	Shooting stars
Ch'issin ch'aska			"evening star"	1st and 2nd magnitude stars and a planet
Coscotoca ch'aska			"star of the two equal parts"	A 1st and 2nd magnitude star or planet in the "zenith" at midnight
Hatun Coyllur			"large star"	Sirius
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."
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 ...
Torito	Spanish		" little bull"	A star or planet in the "zenith" at midnight; torito is also the name of the " rhinoceros beetle" (Dynastinae)
Amaru contor			the serpent changing to the condor	Scorpius
Arado	Spanish		plough	Scorpius
Boca de Sapo	Spanish		"mouth of the toad"	Hyades
Cabanuelas			"small hut, cottage"	Pleiades (?)
Calvario Cruz	Spanish		the cross of Calvary	(a) head of Scorpio (b) Betelgeuse, Rigel, Sirius, and Procyon (c) Procyon, Castor, Belt of Orion, 13 T auri (d) Belt of Orion, T Orionis, and Rigel
Contor			condor	(a) head of Scorpius (b) in CMa head = 8, e, n Canis Majoris, wing = a, 13, y Pyxidis wing = a Monocerotis tail = a Hydrae (c) a dark spot, perhaps in the area of Scorpius
Chakana			"bridge, stair"	(a) Belt of Orion (b) Chacanuay = 8, e, 71 Canis Majoris
Choquechinchay			"golden cat"	Tail of Scorpio (or dark spot inside tail?)
Khaswa Coyllur			"circle dance star(s)"	(a) γ, o, κ, λ Vela (b) Corona Borealis (?)
Llama Cancha			"Llama corral"
Linun Cruz	Spanish		Linun = Lat. lignum; "wooden cross" or "the crucifixion cross"	head of Scorpius
Mamana micuc			"(the one who) eats his mother"	ξ, π, σ, ν, τ Puppis
Ñawin Cristo			"the eyes of Christ"	α and β Centauri
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
Qutu			pile	Pleiades
Sonaja			tambourine, rattle	Corona Borealis
Yutucruz	Qechua-Spanish		"tinamou cross"	Southern Cross
Hatun llamaytoq			the great large llama	a dark streak between the coal-sack and eps Sco
K 'olli			?	unidentified small dark spot
Llama			llama	Large dark streak between the Coalsack and ε Scorpii
Ombligo de la llama			umbilicus of the llama	narrow, curving dark streak from alf Cen south and curving up to tet Sco
Sullu ullucu			aborted ullucu
Urpi			dove	coalsack
Yutu			tinamou
Mama Rosario	Spanish		Mother Rosary	unidentified bright nebulosity in the Milky Way
Posuqu			foam	bright stellar clouds in the southern Milky Way
Chacra

References