mamakuna

Compound of mama (“mother”) +‎ -kuna (“plural suffix”).

• IPA^(key): /ma.ma.ˈku.na/

mamakuna

1. (historical) A woman who was part of an Inca institution where women performed as matrons ("senior female nurse") along with other positions as religious and community leaders, watchwomen or purveyors, among others.

In 17th century Quechua, the suffix -kuna seemed to be used not particularly to reflect plurality. In fact, the numeral huk (“one”) could be added to get the meaning of "one of the mamakuna".^[1]

• → Spanish: mamacona

• aklla

Cerrón-Palomino, Rodolfo (2013) Tras las huellas del Inca Garcilaso: el lenguaje como hermenéutica en la comprensión del pasado [Following the footsteps of Inca Garcilaso: Language as hermeneutics in the understanding of the past], Boston: Latinoamericana Editories; CELACP; Revista de Crítica Literaria Latinoamericana, →DOI, page 116