Inca
UK[ˈɪŋkə]US[ˈɪŋkə]
n
A member of the people who ruled the largest empire in pre-Columbian America, centered in what is now Peru.
n
The supreme ruler of this empire.
n
The language of this people, Quechua.
Etymology
The term 'Inca' entered European languages via Spanish chroniclers of the 16th century, who adopted it from Quechua, the lingua franca of the Andean empire. In its original Quechua context, 'inka' specifically denoted the ruling sovereign, considered a son of the sun god Inti. Through Spanish usage, the term was extended to refer to the entire ruling ethnic group and, by further extension, to their vast civilization and empire. Thus, a word for a divine monarch evolved into the primary ethnonym for a people and their cultural legacy.
Analysis
The word 'Inca' is a direct borrowing from Spanish, which itself derived it from Quechua 'inka', meaning "lord" or "ruler". It functions as a proper noun and does not segment into smaller meaningful parts in English.
Examples
The Inca built an extensive network of roads across the Andes.
Machu Picchu is the most famous archaeological site of the Inca.
The last Inca emperor was captured and executed by the Spanish conquistadors.