The terms cuencanos are published in a book

Gara and chendo are very common words among young Cuencans but little known in other regions of the country. Both are included in the book 'La Lengua Morlaca', presented last December by the azuayo philologist Oswaldo Encalada.

In that text there are more than a thousand words, which have Spanish and Kichwa roots or the mixture of both. Encalada, who is a professor at the Universidad del Azuay, explains that chendo means lie for the Cuencans and has its origin in the word saying, but as a joke. "So saying in the children's language, he went on dicing and finally he was in chendo".

On the other hand, gara has its origin or connection with guinea pigs or stallions. Encalada explains that the best guinea pig that is responsible for reproduction, is known in the field as gara. From there arose and popularized the term, which means something good or beautiful.

This publication has 222 pages and is composed of three parts. The first is the most extensive and collects the words, idioms and phrases of ordinary speech in Cuenca. Encalada says that there are kichwa terms that the basque appropriated as guambra, longo, cholo, among others.

In the text there are other terms such as llapingacho, which has a Kichwa origin and refers to a popular food. "It would be absurd to try to translate it into Spanish and say that it is a potato omelette, because it is not the same." Also, there is the water of pítimas, which does not make any sense for someone who does not live or does not know the city. It is a drink that is sold in the cloister of El Carmen. "I have heard that it arises from the union of the word kichwa piti (little) with the Spanish adverb more.

But they are wrong because it has its origin in the Spanish rancid and arises from the word pitema, which was a kind of medicine that was put in the heart to calm down ". For this reason, pipit water is used to calm down. The second part of the book is dedicated to the cantacano cuencano. In the third part, on the other hand, there are 97 hipocorísticos, which according to Encalada are mere acope exercises. Among other examples are calling Ashico who is called Alcibíades, Charo a la Rosario or Huazho Eduardo. Encalada started this project after a proposal by journalist Nora Jarrín, who at the 2014 presented a small booklet called Diccionario de la Lengua Morlaca.

According to Encalada, she proposed that he expand the work and publish a book, which has the support of the Municipality of Cuenca. His research was based on a work of 30 years and bibliography of authors of linguistic subjects such as Alfonso Cordero Palacios and Honorato Vázquez. He also consulted texts by César and Jorge Dávila and Efraín Jara Idrovo, among others.