| Aymaran | |
|---|---|
| Jaqi, Aru | |
| Geographic distribution | Central South America, Andes Mountains |
| Linguistic classification | Quechumaran?
|
| Subdivisions | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | ayma1253 |
 Dark color: current extent of Aymaran languages. Light color: former extent, as evidenced by place names. | |
Aymaran (also Jaqi or Aru) is one of the two dominant language families in the central Andes alongside Quechuan. The family consists of Aymara, widely spoken in Bolivia, and the endangered Jaqaru and Kawki languages of Peru.
Hardman (1978) proposed the name Jaqi for the family of languages (1978), Alfredo Torero Aru 'to speak', and Rodolfo Cerrón Palomino Aymaran, with two branches, Southern (or Altiplano) Aymaran and Central Aymaran (Jaqaru and Kawki). Other names for the family are Jaqui (also spelled Haki) and Aimara.
Quechuan languages, especially those of the south, share a large amount of vocabulary with Aymara, and the languages have often been grouped together as Quechumaran. This proposal is controversial, however; the shared vocabulary may be better explained as intensive borrowing due to long-term contact.