Incan

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A member of the ancient Andean civilization known for its advanced culture, architecture, and extensive empire
2. Relating to the indigenous people of Peru who formed a major empire in pre-Columbian America
3. Pertaining to the sophisticated society that thrived in the Andes, recognized for its remarkable advancements in agriculture and engineering

Etymology: The Inca were the people of the Andean empire that stretched along the western coast of South America, and "Incan" is simply the adjective formed from their name by adding the suffix "-an," the same ending found in words like "Roman" or "Alabaman." In this case the base is "Inca," which in the Quechua language of the Andes was used for the ruler of the empire, and by extension for the state and its people. Spanish conquistadors who arrived in the 1530s adopted the term, and English later took it over from that usage. The suffix does the work of turning a name into a description of things belonging to or characteristic of that people, so "Incan" can modify nouns such as "gold," "road," or "architecture." The word is therefore a straightforward compound of a borrowed name and an English adjectival ending, with its meaning tracking closely the people and culture it names.

Synonyms: quechua, andesian, peruvian, incaic