Mochica language
| Mochica | |
|---|---|
| Yunga | |
| Ed muchik | |
| Native to | Peru |
| Region | Lambayeque Region: Motupe Valley, La Leche Valley, Lambayeque Valley and Zaña Valley. La Libertad Region: Jequetepeque Valley and Chicama Valley. |
| Ethnicity | Sican culture Mochicas |
| Extinct | c. 1920 fully in 1995, with the death of Simón Quesquén |
| Revival | 80 teachers (2018) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | omc |
omc | |
| Glottolog | moch1259 |
Approximate extent of Mochica before replacement by Spanish. Distribution of the Mochica language according to the Art of the Yunga language | |
Mochica is classified as Extinct by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. | |
Mochica (Yunga, Modern Mochica: Ed muchik) is an extinct and revived language isolate formerly spoken by the Moche and Sican cultures in the departments of Lambayeque and La Libertad, along the Peruvian North Coast, until the 1920s. Documented in various colonial and 19th-century sources, Mochica is characterized by its unique consonant system, particularly its laterals, clitic- rather than affix-based morphosyntax, and etymologically transparent numeral classifiers. In recent times, there have been initiatives to revive the language, such as teaching it in schools and creating modern learning resources for Mochica.