Galápagosese Language

Galápagosese is the term for the language spoken by the indigenous inhabitants of the Galápagos Islands, especially prior to 1535, the year the Spanish arrived. 
== External history ==
I've had the idea of a special language spoken by Oogway and the KFP universe's native Galápagos Islander characters for at least several years. Since the Galápagos Islands never had any indigenous people in real life to base Oogway's home culture off of, I figured I would have to make one myself. I just assumed they'd speak a mainland native South American language, with Quechua (spoken in southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and northern Argentina) being a main guess. Therefore, I chose Quechua names for my Galápagos O.C.s. 
But later on, I realized something: the Galápagos Islands wouldn't just speak a language already existing on the mainland, they'd have one of their own, realistically. After all, the Islands' isolation would provide the perfect opportunity for that. And that's where making a conlanguage comes in.
I already gave the Galápagos islander characters Quechua names, and my heart was set on basing it on Quechua, so I've based Galápagosese, as I currently call the language, on Quechua ever since. For the language to be based on Quechua is by no means far-fetched, since the Galápagos Islands are just off the coast of Ecuador, a country where Quechua is spoken. Furthermore, despite the Islands' isolation, they would still have some contact with the mainland from time to time, meaning the language would be influenced by mainland Quechua. 
With that being said, I began constructing Galápagosese. I made a list of sounds and letters existing within the language, but unfortunately lost the piece of paper and to this still still haven't been able to find it. 
Quechua is in fact not one language, but rather a language family with several different languages spoken throughout what is known as the Quechuaphone region. In Ecuador, the particular Quechuan language spoken is known is Kichwa and is part of the Quechua II subdivision of the Quechuan language family. Since the Galápagos Islands are part of Ecuador, naturally the Galápagosese language would be directly based on Kichwa, specifically. It would retain similarities to mainland Kichwa, but also gain characteristics differentiating it. 
Of course, the Galápagosese language wouldn't remained unchanged throughout time and space-it would undergo changes depending on the time and place, with different islands in the archipelago speaking different dialects. Of course, it would change over time as all languages do. That meant I would have to develop different dialects of the language as well as the stages it has gone through throughout the course of its existence. Since Oogway, my favorite character, is the reason I'm making the language, I've decided that the dialect I'm starting on would be the one spoken in the specific time and place he grew up in-in other words, his native language.
Creating a language is a long and laborious task, so don't expect this to be automatically perfect. I'm still terrible at making languages and this project is still in its infancy. But no doubt it will all improve over time as long as I keep working on everything needed for making a language, so be patient. Help from linguists. Quechua speakers and fellow conlanguage-makers would be much appreciated. 
== Internal history ==
The Galápagosese language has its origins dating back to circa 2000 BC, approximately the time that the KFP universe's Galápagos Islanders arrived to the Islands from the South American mainland. In its earliest days, the language bore no resemblance to Quechua, since said language didn't exist yet. However, starting around 500 AD, increased contact with mainland South America resulted in the Galápagos Islands language becoming more influenced by mainland Quechuan languages, especially those spoken in present-day Ecuador, with each of the islands in the archipelago coming to have its own distinct dialect. By the time of Master Oogway's childhood, the language was influenced by mainland Kichwa enough that the two languages could be considered relatives to one another.
The language continued to be spoken in the archipelago through the centuries. Then in the early 1500s, a turning point-the arrival of the Europeans to the Galápagos Islands-occurred. 
European "discovery" of the Galápagos Islands occurred by accident in 1535 by Fray Tomás de Berlanga, the fourth Bishop of Panama, who was blown off course en route to Peru. The Bishop was unimpressed by the Islands' barrenness, but was thankful for the indigenous inhabitants' kindness and hospitality towards him. After his sojourn in the Islands was over, he sent an account of the adventure and the native islanders to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. 
Following this, the Spanish and other European powers became increasingly interested in the Islands. They began sailing to the Islands, with anyone from Catholic missionaries to pirates going there. Catholic missionaries were responsible for converting the native islanders to their religion and translating the Bible into the Galápagos language. 
For the most part, the Europeans tolerated the native Galápagos Islanders' language. However, over time, as is common with clashes between indigenous people and non-indigenous settlers, the language came to be stigmatized and seen (along with the indigenous culture in general) as barbaric and inferior to European languages. Many times during the post-contact era, there were even efforts to ban it. These factors caused Galápagosese to decline as the Islanders were encouraged, if not outright forced, to speak Spanish, English and other European languages. 
Starting in the early 1800s, European authorities began establishing schools throughout the archipelago where indigenous children were taught Christianity and European languages. At these schools, Galápagosese was discouraged and at times children were even punished for speaking it. 
By the early 20th century, the majority of native Galápagos Islanders spoke Spanish as their native language and had forgotten Galápagosese. And even when the language was still spoken, it had changed greatly since the Europeans' arrival to the Islands, having many words borrowed from Spanish. 
In the mid-20th century, efforts to revive Galápagosese began, and slowly but surely over the next couple of decades the language came back from near-extinction with efforts by the indigenous people. The language, and Galápagos culture in general, was de-stigmatized and promoted in schools, churches and in the home. By the early 21st century, more than 50% of indigenous Galápagos Islanders now spoke Galápagosese as a native language once again. With the stigma once surrounding the language gone, Galápagosese is thriving again, though it will never be same as it was before European contact, and islanders to this day are putting all the effort they can into keeping it-and Galápagos culture-alive.