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What is Sumaq?

Sumaq is a word from Quechua, a language family spoken for centuries across the Andes of South America. It means beautiful, good, well-made. Not in the decorative sense, but in the sense of rightness: something that is as it should be.

Quechua

Quechua was the administrative language of the Inca Empire and is still spoken by roughly 8–10 million people across Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Argentina. It is one of the most widely spoken indigenous languages in the Americas, and endangered at the same time. Many speakers switch to Spanish in daily life, and with each generation, nuances are lost.

Naming an editor after a Quechua word doesn't make the language more visible, and it doesn't save it. But it is a deliberate choice to use a word that describes care and quality, rather than inventing an English brand name.

Ama sua, ama llulla, ama quella

There is a moral principle from the Inca tradition:

Ama sua, ama llulla, ama quella.

Don't steal, don't lie, don't be lazy.

This is our interpretation of that principle, applied to Sumaq:

  • Don't steal: no hidden costs, no features behind paywalls, no data that isn't yours.
  • Don't lie: no inflated feature lists, no misleading comparisons, no empty promises.
  • Don't be lazy: clean code, tested accessibility, thoughtful decisions. No shortcuts at the expense of others.

Guest, not owner

We are using a word and a principle from a culture that is not ours. We are aware of that.

This name is not a branding trick. It is a commitment: to take seriously the values the word carries. If someone from the Quechua community feels this use isn't right, we want to hear it and talk it through together.

Until then, we try to live up to the word.

Pronunciation

Sumaq: SOO-makh, stress on the first syllable. The Q at the end is a uvular stop, further back in the throat than an English K.

Ama sua, ama llulla, ama quella: AH-ma SOO-ah, AH-ma LYOO-lyah, AH-ma KEH-lyah. The "ll" is a palatal sound, similar to the Spanish "ll" in "llave".

If you'd like to hear it: Bolivian singer Luzmila Carpio sings the principle in her song "Ama Sua, Ama Llulla, Ama Qhella". You'll hear the pronunciation of all three terms from a native speaker.