quipu

American  

[kee-poo, kwip-oo] / ˈki pu, ˈkwɪp u /

Or khipu

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.

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quipu British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of quipu

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

Explanation

A quipu is a device for recording data that was traditionally used in one region of South America. Information was recorded on a quipu using a system of knots tied into strings. In South America's Andean region, many cultures have historically used the quipu to keep track of things like census data and calendars. The Incas were among these quipu users, encoding information into knots and string colors that some researchers believe included a complete writing system for recording literature. Today, quipus serve a mainly ritual purpose. Quipu is a Quechua word that means "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 • Oct. 3, 2023

How would you go about translating a quipu?

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

The quipu of knotted string was a complex but portable Inca recording device.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

The lyrics suggest that there might be as much stubborn mystery in our own past as there is in a forgotten script like the quipu.

From New York Times • Aug. 25, 2022

The two men recorded this information on the official quipu strings.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis