quipu

or khi·pu

[ kee-poo, kwip-oo ]

noun

1. a device consisting of a cord with knotted strings of various colors attached, used by the ancient Peruvians for recording events, keeping accounts, etc.

quipu

/ ˈkiːpuː; ˈkwɪpuː /

noun

1. a device of the Incas of Peru used to record information, consisting of an arrangement of variously coloured and knotted cords attached to a base cord

Word History and Origins

Origin of quipu¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; from Spanish, from Quechua khipu

Word History and Origins

Origin of quipu¹

C17: from Spanish quipo, from Quechua quipu, literally: knot

Example Sentences

By the end of the project, which ran from 2016 to 2018, the quipu included 18 ropes of thread comprised of countless knots.

From Los Angeles Times

Scholars have mostly relinquished the dream of “cracking” the quipu code.

From New York Times

When the ancient Incas wanted to archive tax and census records, they used a device made up of a number of strings called a quipu, which encoded the data in knots.

From Scientific American

Vicuña has used variations on the quipu form repeatedly, and produced a monumental version for the occasion.

From New York Times

“Spin Spin Triangulene” will also include Ms. Vicuña’s quipus, which are knotted, weblike creations inspired by a centuries-old Inca system of communication.

From New York Times