Quipu

It's possible that the majority of English speakers who know the word quipu pronounce it "kwipu", but most of them know it only as an obscure piece of historical trivia. ❋ Unknown (2005)

Really, the word quipu scarcely enters the English language at all, unlike quinine or the edible seed quinoa, which if its current popularity continues may well end up pronounced kwiNOa in English KEENwah is preferred for the time being. ❋ Unknown (2005)

So far as known, the quipu was the only mnemonic system in use in Peru. ❋ 1840-1916 (1913)

A quipu was a cord two feet long, composed of differently coloured threads twisted together, from which were hung a number of smaller threads, also differently coloured and tied in knots. ❋ Andrew Lang (1900)

While the Inca developed a basic system of counting using bundled knotted strings known as quipu and an elaborate calendar, they did not use writing. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The "quipu," a knotted reckoning-cord, was in use in Peru and in China. ❋ Ignatius Donnelly (1866)

They did not have a written language; instead they used a cord with beads on it, called "quipu", used to record government business. ❋ Unknown (2009)

The Incas of Peru, before the Conquest, had a whole system of “writing” based on a variation of knots in colored strings, the “khipu” or “quipu.” ❋ Unknown (2007)

Have rural information systems - the Incan quipu, the Australian songline - had the same status as urban ones? ❋ Unknown (2008)

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Picking up the quipu belatedly: ❋ Unknown (2006)

A quick note on the quipu: apparently its informational nature wasn't known by westerners until very, very recently. ❋ Unknown (2006)

Infocult: Information, Culture, Policy, Education: Picking up the quipu belatedly ❋ Unknown (2006)

Back to quipu...an article about the same research in the August 20-26 issue of New Scientist spells it "khipu" for both the plural and singular. ❋ Unknown (2005)

Incidentally, note Guaman Poma's illustration of a quipu in the article. ❋ Unknown (2005)

Included in the document are three half-pages of drawings signed "Blas Valera" and an envelope containing a wool quipu fragment. ❋ Unknown (1996)

[The] curaca emphasized that this quipu is based by its nature on the scarceness of words, and its composition key and its reading key lie in its syllabic division. ❋ Unknown (1996)

He cites its extravagant claims about Pizarro and Valera and wonders why this method of quipu decipherment has not surfaced in other chronicles. ❋ Unknown (1996)

If you ... want to indicate the word 'time,' pacha in Quechua, it will be necessary to make two symbols [in the quipu] representing Pachacamac -- one of them with a little knot to indicate the first syllable, the other with two knots to indicate the second syllable .... ❋ Unknown (1996)