Iquito is a highly endangered Zaparoan language of Peru. Iquito is one of three surviving Zaparoan languages; the other two being Záparo, with 1-3 speakers, and Arabela with about 75 speakers. Three extinct languages are also considered to be Zaparoan: Andoa, Aushiri, and Cahuarano. Some classifiers also consider Omurano to be Zaparoan. Other names used for the language include Iquita, Ikito, Amacacore, Hamacore, Quiturran, and Puca-Uma, although Iquito is the most common. Of the ethnic Iquito population of 500, as of 2006, there are 25 fluent or native speakers, all of whom are over 55 years old, and about 25 partial or passive speakers, all of whom are over the age of 25. Iquito is spoken in the Loreto Province, the regions of the Pintoyacu, Nanay, and Chambira rivers, and the villages of San Antonio and Atalaya. It is technically an official language of Peru. There is a negative attitude towards the language in the Iquito communities and Iquitos mostly use Spanish. This is partially due to decades of pressure to assimilate into Spanish-speaking culture. The population is Christian; the Bible was translated into Iquito in 1963. The Iquito people cultivate yuca, are fishermen and hunters, rubber gatherers, and traders.
History
This area of present-day northeastern Peru was settled for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. In the mid 17th century, there was a large group of Iquito speakers where the present-day city of Iquitos developed. But, by the period of 1958 to 1966, only about 100 native speakers of Iquito remained, and they were on the verge of acculturation to Spanish. During this period, the population of older adults spoke Iquito and understood Spanish, middle-aged adults were bilingual in Spanish and Iquito, and children spoke Spanish as their first language and understood Iquito.
Reasons for decline
Several factors have affected the decline in speaking Iquito; there are 25 speakers now. The infectious diseases of whooping cough, measles, and pneumonia had devastating effects on the speaking population, with a high number of fatalities. Also, the landowner system in place at the time, and the disruptions associated with the rubber boom and exploitation of rubber reduced the population.
Revitalization
The University of Texas sponsored a program run by graduate students to help the population of San Antonio revitalize the Iquito language. They are working on a 1500-word dictionary and teaching plans in order to teach the younger population Iquito.
