What Is Quipu: The Talking Knots?

Quipu is also known as talking knots which are essentially recording devices fashioned in the form of strings that have been historically used throughout different cultures in the region of Andean South America.

This tool was pretty common among Incan people.

The Inca Empire which is also known as the “Incan Empire”, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.

Their administrative and political structure is considered to have been the most developed at that time by most scholars and this was before the Columbus' arrival.

Quipu was the ancient accounting tool that has been used by Incan people throughout centuries for book keeping purposes. The Inca people also used them for other purposes like keeping records, collecting data, monitoring tax obligations, calendrical information, properly collecting census records, and for military organization as well.

This was the unique history of the old which scientist are still interested in to go deep down because there are things which are still unexplainable.

Because book keeping with the use of string knots? How’s that possible? Actually, doesn’t really make sense but, these people did that.

Quipu is also pronounced as khipu and it’s written in that way in Quechua language which was the official language of what Inca people used to speak.

Definition in the Laymen Terms

If you ever use any thesaurus tool you’ll find that quipu actually mean these 4 things:

• Adding Machine
• Calculator
• Keep
• Keep Alive

Don’t believe me see the image below:

These are all the synonyms for the quipu term.

Most people ask what does “QUIPU” stand for? Well, it doesn’t stand for anything. It has the meaning of itself.

What Is Quipu Used For

As discussed earlier quipu was used for book keeping purposes. But, yes because quipu was the talking knots the Incas do use them in order to communicate themselves not face to face but, I mean through writing and sending. You can consider it as the letter you get in the mail in the modern age a few years back.

Those were the times when they get these quipu knotted strings in their mail so that they can understand and reply back by tying a new quipu and sending back to the location it came from to communicate distantly.

They became so proficient that they don’t take too much time tying the strings and taking hours to reply.

They do this in minutes.

Because there were no writing systems at that time at all so they have to rely on this system alone and that’s what made them skilled in this task.

Please note that they do speak and communicate with each other using their official language which is known as Quechua.

Only, when they have to communicate via writing and at a distance they made use of quipu system to do that.

Otherwise, every communication face to face was perfect and normal.

Beside the official language these people also speak these 2 other languages:

·         Puquina

·         Aymara

What Is a Quipu Made Out Of

Quipu was made out of cotton or more commonly with camelid fiber strings.

The Inca people used them for collecting data and keeping records, properly collecting census records, monitoring tax obligations, calendar information, and for military organization purposes as well.

What Does Quipu Mean In Quechua

Quipu mean khipu in quechua written language and in English it does have multiple meanings like calculator and keep that I’ve mentioned earlier in the post.

Quipu in any other language can mean “calculator”.

Wrapping It Up

Here you have it. This is what quipu is “the talking knots”. If you know any different and secretive things about quipu do let me know in the comment section below I’ll highly appreciate that.