Historia moderna de una lengua originaria: El jaqi aru en chile

Abstract

The subordinated state of the aymara language in Chile can be historically explained by an extended and sustained process of linguistical displacement in favor of the dominant national language. The relevant factors are placed at two different levels: on the one hand, the spatial, political and educational integration of peripherical areas of the Andean highlands, which is associated with the modern formation of the Tarapacá Region through the forces of capital and state during the XIX and XXth Centuries. On the other hand, the internal social dynamics of the aymara communities and their cultural and educational claims. The current situation shows a fast declination of bilingualism and the corresponding increase of Spanish monolingualism, in spite of the recent changes towards a wider social recognition of the indigenous cultures and languages.