Inca
/ˈɪŋkə/noun
A member of the ruling people of the Inca Empire, or the emperor of that empire.
Did you know?In Quechua, *inka* originally meant “ruler” or “lord,” and the Spanish later used it for the whole imperial civilization they encountered in the Andes.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian Quechua
Quechua
inka
“lord; ruler; noble”
15th Century
Quechua
Inka
“title used by the Sapa Inka, the emperor”
16th Century
Spanish
inca
“the ruler or people of the Inca Empire”
19th Century
English
Inca
“the Andean empire, its rulers, or its people”
Modern English
English
Inca
“a member of the former Inca Empire or relating to that empire”