Chimuan (also Chimúan) or Yuncan (Yunga–Puruhá, Yunca–Puruhán) is a hypothetical small extinct language family of northern Peru and Ecuador (inter-Andean valley).
It was documented by Fernando de la Carrera and Middendorff in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries respectively.
According to Adelaar & Muysken (2004), Jijón y Caamaño's evidence of their relationship is only a single word: Mochica nech "river", Cañari necha; based on similarities with neighboring languages, he finds a Barbacoan connection more likely.
Tovar (1961),[3] partly based on Schmidt (1926),[4] adds Tallán (Sechura–Catacao) to Chimuan (which he calls Yunga-Puruhá).
[5] Loukotka (1968) lists the following basic vocabulary items for the Chimuan languages.