Proto-Quechuan language is the hypothetical mother tongue or proto-language that would have given rise to the various languages of the Quechuan language family. This proto-language is reconstructed based on evidence from modern Quechuan languages, as well as records of ancient forms.
Proto-Quechuan was likely spoken in the central region of ancient Peru according to Alfredo Torero. It then expanded southwards to replace Aymara. At the beginning of the fifth century, the proto-Quechua would have crossed the mountain range to settle in the central highlands (Valle del Mantaro), then proto-Aymara-speaking, producing the division between Quechua I (to the east) and Quechua II.[1]
The syllables of the Quechua languages are composed of at least one vowel as nucleus. As a general rule, the syllables allow a consonant in position of onset and coda (beginning and end of syllable, respectively).
Three vowel phonemes are distinguished: a vowel open /a/ and closed rounded vowel /u/ unrounded /i/. The precise pronunciation of these vowel phonemes varies with their phonetic environment. The vicinity of a uvular consonant produces more centralized allophones such as [ɑ], [e], [ɛ], [o], [ɔ] and that of the semiconsonant palatal approximant /j/ also causes an overtaking of /a/ to [æ]. As for the consonants, Proto-Quechua would have had three nasal consonant /m, n, ɲ/ four occlusive /p, t, k, q/, two affricates /t͡ʃ, ʈ͡ʂ/, three fricatives /s, ʂ, h/, two approximants /j, w/ and two or three liquid /ʎ, ɾ, (l)/.
The following table shows the numerals in Proto-Quechuan and its evolution in different modern Quechua languages: