Indoamericanismos en el epítome de Jiménez de Quezada

Abstract

This paper, preceded by a biographical note on Jimenez de Quesada, examines the presence of Indoamerican words taken from pre-Colombian languages, which are documented in the Epítome de la conquista del Nuevo Reino de Granada (Epitome of the conquest of the Nuevo Reino de Granada). Historical-linguistic reference is made to the documentation contributed by other writings and other chronicles of the Indias. The borrowing of these native terms (hayo, maíz, yuca, cubias, yomas, etc.) incorporated into the text show the historical and sociolinguistic process of Americanization of the Spanish language during the early times of its Atlantic expansion. The lack of the documented words is inversely proportional to how interesting they are for examining the interlinguistic contact process of Spanish with the native languages. These neologisms are connected with the material American culture transferred into Spanish because of historical needs of contact.