Mochica (also Yunga, Yunca, Chimú, Muchic, Mochika, Muchik, Chimu) is an extinct language formerly spoken along the northwest coast of Peru and in an inland village. First documented in 1607, the language was widely spoken in the area during the 17th century and the early 18th century. By the late 19th century, the language was dying out and spoken only by a few people in the village of Etén, in Chiclayo. It died out as a spoken language around 1920, but certain words and phrases continued to be used until the 1960s. It is best known as the supposed language of the Moche culture, as well as the Chimú culture/Chimor. Classification Mochica is usually considered to be a language isolate, but has also been hypothesized as belonging to a wider Chimuan language family. Stark (1972) proposes a connection with Uru–Chipaya as part of a Maya–Yunga–Chipayan macrofamily hypothesis. Language contact Jolkesky (2016) notes that there are lexical similarities with the Trumai, Arawak, Kandoshi, Muniche, Barbakoa, Cholon-Hibito, Kechua, Mapudungun, Kanichana, and Kunza language families due to contact. Jolkesky (2016) also suggests that similarities with Amazonian languages may be due to the early migration of Mochica speakers down the Marañón and Solimões. Varieties "Southern Chimú" varieties listed by Loukotka (1968) are given below. Chimú - around Trujillo, Peru Eten - Loukotka (1968) reported a few speakers in the villages of Eten and Monsefú, department of Lambayeque Mochica - once spoken on the coast of the department of Libertad Casma - once spoken on the Casma River, department of Ancash (unattested) Paramonga - once spoken on the Fortaleza River, department of Ancash (unattested) Typology Mochica is typologically different from the other main languages on the west coast of South America, namely the Quechuan languages, Aymara, and the Mapuche language. Further, it contains rare features such as: a case system in which cases are built on each other in a linear sequence; for example, the ablative case suffix is added to the locative case, which in turn is added to an oblique case form; all nouns have two stems, possessed and non-possessed; an agentive case suffix used mainly for the agent in passive clauses; and a verbal system in which all finite forms are formed with the copula. Phonology The reconstruction or recovery of the Mochican sounds is problematic. Different scholars who worked with the language used different notations. Both Carrera Daza like Middendorf, devoted