Chibcha, also known as
Muisca or
Mosca, is "officially" an
extinct,
Ethnologue, accessed 9 Nov 2010
Chibchan language of
Colombia, formerly spoken by the
Muisca people, a complex
indigenous civilization of Central America and the present-day Colombian region. Scholars believe the Chibcha language arose in Central America and then migrated with people to nearby areas. In 1770,
King Charles III of Spain officially banned use of the language in the region as part of a de-indigenization project. The ban remained in law until Colombia passed its
constitution of 1991.
Although the language is officially extinct, some words of
Muyskkubun origin are still used in the departments of
Cundinamarca of which
Bogotá is the capital, and
Boyacá. These include
curuba (a fruit),
toche (a bird),
guadua (a bamboo-like plant) and
tatacoa (a snake). The Muisca descendants continue many traditional ways, such as the use of certain foods, use of
coca for teas and healing rituals, and other aspects of natural ways, which are a deep part of culture here. Chibcha culture flourished in these areas since at least the 7th century BC.,
Colombia,
Inter Press Service (IPS) News, 30 Nov 2007, accessed 9 Nov 2010
The only public school in
Colombia currently teaching Muisca (to about 150 children) is in the town of
Cota, about 20 miles by road from Bogotá. The...
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