Glossary of Jorge Icaza’s Huasipungo

Bernard M. Dulsey translated Jorge Icaza‘s most famous novel Huaspingo (1934) as “The Villagers” in 1964 (Southern Illinois University Press). This is the glossary containing the definitions of Quechua and Spanish words contained in the book.

achachay	an exclamation expressing sensation of cold
amo	owner; used by servants to refer to their master. The Indian often uses amu or amitu for amo.
arí	the Indian word for yes.
arrarray	an exclamation expressing a burning sensation.
arrayán	a hardwood; a variety of the myrtle tree.
ay	the standard Spanish expression for pain, grief or surprise.
beata	a very religious woman; used very often of one who has a false piety; hence a hypocrite.
bonito	good, beautiful; the Indian uses bonitu.
caca	vulgar name for excrement.
canela negra	a hardwood.
carajo	exclamation equivalent to goddam or sonofabitch.
chacacrama	an Indian who watches the fields at night.
chamiza	firewood.
chasquibay	the lamentations of the family and close relatives before the cadaver.
chicha	an alcoholic drink usually made of fermented corn.
chiguagua	a figure made of fireworks; usually in shape of a doll or of a human being.
chilca	a resinous bush with many straight thin branches with leaves like those of a willow tree. The leaves are used for medicical purposes.
cholo	person of mixed Indian and white blood.
chugchi	the gleanings gathered in the fields after the crop has been harvested.
comadre	a very good friend, a close neighbor. (This word used only for women; the corresponding word for men is compadre.
creciente cuichi (or Cuichi)	an evil spirit spirit who inhabits the hills or ravines.
Cunshi	nickname for Spanish Concepción.
cura	a parish priest.
curandero -a	a quack doctor; in general, any person practicing medicine without having studied it.
Dios mio!	heavens! (literally, my God!)
frailejones	plants with golden yellow flowers; they produce a resinous substance used in rural medicine.
ga	an expression used just to give emphasis to a phrase.
guagua	Indian word for a child, especially a baby not yet weaned.
guarapo	the fermented juice of the sugar cane. A drink often used by the Indians to achieve intoxication.
huasicama	an Indian caretaker of the manor house.
huasipungo	a parcel of land which the owner of the hacienda grants an Indian family in return for their daily labor. The Indian occupants wrests what he can from this piece of land and erects his miserable hovel on it.
huasipunguero	the Indian who lives on the huasipungo and is tied to any debt that has accrued on it.
huilmo	a hardwood.
jachimayshay	the Indian rite of bathing the dead to facilitate the corpse’s voyage on to eternity.
junta	a meeting of persons to discuss a certain issue.
longo, -a	an Indian child or adolescent.
longuito, -a	dominutive of longo; often used to show affection.
mayordomo	an hacienda employee in charge of the workmen and their labor.
minga	a collective labor often done by an entire village for no pay except the abundant food and plenty of at least one alcoholic beverage. Dates from Inca days.
minguero, -a	one who works on a minga.
motilón	a hardwood.
niña	in Spanish a girl or young woman. Indians use this word sometimes to refer to, or to show respect for any white woman.
ñucanchic huasipungo	the first word means “our”; thus the entire phrase may be freely translated as “Let’s fight for our huasipungos.”
paisano	a rustic; often used as “hick.”
panza	a hardwood.
páramo	high, and cold, plateau.
pasillo	a popular dance melody.
patrón, -a	boss, master; patrona is feminine equivalent.
patrón grande, su merced	a lofty phrase denoting the elegant almost omnipotent position of the patrón vis-à-vis the Indians who work for him.
patroncitu	diminutive of patrón, often showing humility on the part of the Indian toward his master.
péon -(es)	peasant(s).
pes	a common contraction of the Spanish pues. Usually means “well,” “now then,” etc.
pongo	an Indian who works around the manor house without pay.
prioste	in Ecuador, the one who asks for, or accepts the financial responsibility for a religious feast day.
rosca	a scornful word for “Indian.”
runa	an Indian.
sanjuanito	an Indian song and dance.
shunguitico	diminutive of shungo, affectionately used.
socorros	a yearly handout by the patrón which, together with the huasipungo and the raya-a nominal daily wage-make up the entire payment the Indian receives for his labor.
soroche	altitude sickness.
taita	pappa, daddy. Used especially by the Indians and other rural inhabitants in the Andean regions.
Taita, Taita Dios	God, Almighty Father
taiticu	diminutive of taita. Usually shows more affection or humility than taita.
taitiquito	a diminutive of taiticu! (more humble than taiticu).
tapial	a wall usually enclosing country properties or homes.
uuuy	an exclamation.
viva	hoorah! hoorah for!