Meaning & use
Inka
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Meanings
proper nounproper
a member of a South American people who ruled a large empire in the Andes before the Spanish arrived.
Grammar: Capitalized. The plural is usually 'Inka' or 'Inkas'.
Patterns
- the Inka empire
- an Inka ruler
The Inka built a vast network of roads across the mountains.
She is studying the history of the Inka people.
proper nounproper
the language of the Inka people, still spoken in parts of the Andes; also called Quechua.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the language.
Patterns
- speak Inka
- in Inka
Many villagers still speak Inka as their first language.
The word for 'mountain' in Inka is similar to that in other Andean languages.
Word forms
| plural | Inkas |
|---|
Common combinations
- the Inka empire
- The Inka empire stretched along the western coast of South America.
- Inka civilization
- Inka civilization was known for its advanced stonework.
- Inka ruler
- The Inka ruler was considered a living god.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Inca
- The more common spelling in English; 'Inka' is a variant used in some scholarly works.
Word family
- Incan adjective
- Relating to the Inca people or their empire.
Commonly confused: Inka or Inca?
Inka vs Inca
'Inca' is the standard English spelling; 'Inka' is an alternative, often used to reflect the original pronunciation.
Practice
The ______ empire was the largest in pre-Columbian America.
Choose one answer.
We need the proper noun 'Inka' to modify 'empire'. 'Inkan' is not a standard adjective; 'Inkas' is plural and would not fit before a singular noun; 'Inka's' is possessive and would require a following noun like 'ruler'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Inka”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.