The Speech of Azuay

Originating from a series of journalistic articles, the book explores the linguistic idiosyncrasies of Ecuador’s Azuay province. Drawing on linguistic, semantic, sociolinguistic, and psychological perspectives, the author examines the coexistence of three underlying strata—Cañari, Quichua, and Spanish—which together shape a distinctive form of speech. This “special variety” is marked by a strong tendency toward verb-centered expression, a unique use of diminutives, interjections, and discourse particles such as pues and no. Each chapter presents vivid examples from everyday conversation, distinguishing between rural and urban registers and highlighting the role of language as a marker of identity. The work ultimately calls for the preservation of dialectal richness in the face of cultural homogenization and stands as a valuable resource for Andean dialectology and intercultural bilingual education.