Inka
/ˈiŋ.kɑː/noun
A title used for the ruler of the Inca Empire and, by extension, the people and civilization of that empire.
Did you know?The Spanish spelling **Inca** is a colonial adaptation of the Quechua title **inka**, originally meaning the emperor or ruling noble, not the entire civilization.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian Quechua
Quechua
inka
“A ruler, lord, or imperial noble of the Inca state”
16th Century
Spanish
inca
“Spanish rendering of the Quechua title for the emperor and ruling elite”
16th-18th Century
Spanish/European
Incas
“The rulers and, later, the people and empire associated with them”
Modern English
English
Inca
“The empire, its people, or anything relating to the Andean civilization”