| Also Known As: Mosca,Muisca
Description:
Chibcha, also known as Muisca or Mosca, is "officially" an extinct Chibchan language of Colombia, formerly spoken by the Muisca people. The language was banned by King Charles III of Spain on May 10, 1770, as part of a de-indigenization project and remained so until the constitution of 1991 was written. Though officially extinct, some words of muyskkubun origin are still used in some areas outside of Bogota. The only public school in Colombia where Muisca is taught to about 150 children exists in the town of Cota, named Jizcamox. It is a language older than Aramaic, according to researcher Mariana Escribano, who has done extensive work studying the Muisca people. Actually the name of the Chibcha language is "muyskkubun". The word "Chibcha" comes from "Chib" (staff) and "Cha" (man), meaning the "Chief of the Community". Chibchacum, for example, was the God of agriculture and he was punished by Bochica to hold the earth on his shoulders...... full article at Wikipedia |
