GLOSARIO
Casimira = A woman's name. In Churuhuasca she was an impressive woman; a beautiful, tall and intelligent woman. The town's hero was madly in love with her, but Casimira did not feel the same for him. It cannot be really said that she didn't love him, Casimira sort of loved him, or perhaps just accepted him. They had been romancing for three years and no one in town had the faintest idea. And it was because even the town's hero could not say: "I am deeply in love with that indian. I love her!"
yungueño = Belonging to Los Yungas.
making love with the river = See photo.
aguayos = Multicolored weaving that measures about 5 by 5 feet. It is used by women to carry things on their backs, including children.
Yungas = Hot and humid region of Bolivia, the upper rainforest located in the Eastern slopes of the Andes.
achichiu = Indigenous exclamation of pain.
Chaco War = Conflict between Bolivia and Paraguay over the Chuquisaca lake, it lasted between 1932 and 1935. In those three years Bolivia suffered 50.000 casualties.
Paraguayan = Belonging to Paraguay.
Callaguayas = Indigenous medicine men. During the Aymara empire, and later the Quechua empire, a region that encompassed (and still does) almost an entire community dedicated to the study and practice of native medicine. Their language is different from Aymara and Quechua. They generally travel throughout South America practicing medicine and learning about other cultures.
Aymara = Native language spoken in the Andean high plains of Bolivia.
Quechua = Native language spoken in the lower Andean valleys of Bolivia.
Guarani = Native language spoken in the tropical region of Bolivia.
doctorcito = Little doctor, a term of endearment and respect for adult males.
chuspas = Pouches that hang around the neck and are used to carry coca leaves, food and/or special items.
Pachamama = Indigenous name for mother Earth, mother nature. In Andean theogony, Pachamama and Inti (the sun) are the main characters of the Universal Order.
Janigua = No, emphatic negation in Aymara.
guaguita = Indigenous term of endearment for a child.
changuito = Popular name given to preadolescent children.
guagua = Indigenous word meaning child.
kantuta = Some dictionaries spell it as cantuta and say it is a flower small and simple as a carnation. A kantuta is a plant whose flowers are as beautiful as an antique dress (tight on the waist and with ruffles and folds on the edges), generally three colors run lengthwise, they have a pleasant smell and a pistil in the center giving them the appearance of multicolored bells. The majority of flowers are red, yellow and green, that is the reason it is considered the national flower of Bolivia as its colors match the national flag. Such is the kantuta.
day of the sea = The 23 of March is a national holiday for remembering the war of 1879. On that day all schools, the military and meritorious war veterans parade through the streets.
war of 1879 = On February 14, Chile invades Antofagasta and on April 6 Chile declares war. Conflict where Chile, instigated by Great Britain seizes the Bolivian saltpetre resources and cut its sovereign exit to the sea.
Bolivian = Belonging to Bolivia. Also its currency.
Suma lulitu = Indigenous term of endearment meaning little one, dear one, pretty one.
ajayu = Indigenous word for soul, for the spirit of all living things. Humans and animals have an ajayu.
Jacha-guagua = Indigenous name for a big child, also for someone who is childish.
Chojolulo = A bird of gray and plain plumage but known for its most beautiful singing. A nick name given to the orphan boy of Churuhuasca for his singing talent.
Churuhuasca = Imaginary town, somewhere in the Bolivian Yungas region, where the story herein takes place.
charque = Name given meat that has been dehydrated through a special process which allows it to be kept for a long time. This word has infiltrated the English language, where dehydrated meat is known as "jerky."
Puente Villa = Villa Bridge, a small village in the Yungas region, it lies at the intersection of La Paz and Coripata roads, 20 miles from Chulumani.
Guarani = Native language spoken in the tropical region of Bolivia.
Merit Medal = See photo. An distinction awarded to those who through their actions demonstrate valor and honor in battle.
war of 1879 = On February 14, Chile invades Antofagasta and on April 6 Chile declares war. Conflict where Chile, instigated by Great Britain seizes the Bolivian saltpetre resources and cut its sovereign exit to the sea.
cuequita = See photo. The cueca is a popular dance in Bolivia. It represents courtship and it is danced waving and playing with a handkerchief.
Infierno Verde = Green Hell, a song whose theme is the Chaco War.
Boquerón Abandonado = Play music. Abandoned Boqueron, a song whose theme is the battle that took place in Boqueron during the Chaco War.
metiches = Popular name given to those who "stick their noses" where they are not supposed to.
Mambru se fue a la guerra = Mambru Went to War, a children's rhyme.
Aserrín Aserrán = Saw, Sawdust, a children's rhyme that tells of the conflicts between the workers and the owners of a lumber yard, it is popular throughout South America. Originally a poem written by Colombian poet Jose Asuncion Silva (1865-1896).
Arroz con leche = Rice Pudding, a children's rhyme that tells the qualities a girl must posses to be a good wife.
tutumas = Also totuma, indigenous name given to a concave container fashioned from a gourd or a coconut shell.
chorro-morro = Popular game played by children and young people. The first player bends over placing his hand on his knees, the next player jumps over the side of the previous one by placing his hands on the back and slightly flexing the knees. The latter player assumes a similar position next the previous one. Players continue until it is impossible to jump over all the bodies and start landing on the backs of the ones bending over, the game continues until the ones bent over collapse under the pile of bodies.
tunkuña = A sort of Egyptian cross with cells within drawn on the floor. The player throws a flat stone on the farthest unoccupied (by the stone of an opponent) cell; skipping on one leg the player moves towards his or her stone while following some strict rules. It is a form of ancestral hopscotch.
kumunta = Generally, when all the children playing chorro-morro collapse on top of each other, other children, who are standing, yell kumunta! And jump over the fallen making an even bigger pile of bodies.
pesca-pesca = A game of tag.
oculta-oculta = A game of hide and go seek.
media-nuca = Short neck, a nick name given to a girl of Churuhuasca.
chiti = An indigenous word meaning small, little.
golpe-pecho = Chest beat, a nick name given to a woman of Churuhuasca.
cachi = A very flat court yard of about 20 by 30 feet. It is (generally) covered with cobble stone and it is used to dry fruits and coca leaves.
masitas = Turnovers, cookies, pastries of various shapes and sizes.
queque = Popular name given to a large pastry, a plain and undecorated cake.