Editing Mapuche language (section)

===Spanish–Mapuche bilingualism in colonial times===
As the 16th and 17th century [[Central Chile]] was becoming a [[melting pot]] for uprooted indigenous peoples,<ref name=migracioneslocales>{{Cite journal|year=2016|title=Migraciones locales y asentamiento indígena en las estancias españolas de Chile central, 1580–1650|journal=[[Historia (history of the Americas journal)|Historia]]|volume=49|issue=1|doi=10.4067/S0717-71942016000100004|doi-access=free|language=es|url=https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0717-71942016000100004&script=sci_arttext#nb29|last1=Contreras Cruces|first1=Hugo|pages=87–110|access-date=2020-01-18|archive-date=2020-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623111950/https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?pid=S0717-71942016000100004&script=sci_arttext#nb29|url-status=live}}</ref> it has been argued that Mapuche, Quechua and Spanish coexisted there, with significant bilingualism, during the 17th century.<ref name=Hernadez>{{cite journal |last1=Hernández Salles |first1=Arturo |date=1981 |title=Influencia del mapuche en el castellano |journal=[[Documentos Lingüísticos y Literarios]] |volume=7 |pages=34–44 |language=es }}</ref> However the indigenous language that has influenced [[Chilean Spanish]] the most is Quechua rather than Mapuche.<ref name=Hernadez/>

In colonial times, many Spanish and Mestizos spoke the Mapuche language. For example, in the 17th century, many soldiers at the [[Valdivian Fort System]] had some command of Mapuche.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Urbina C. |first1=María Ximena |author-link=Ximena Urbina |date=2017 |title=La expedición de John Narborough a Chile, 1670: Defensa de Valdivia, rumeros de indios, informaciones de los prisioneros y la creencia en la Ciudad de los Césares |language=es |trans-title=John Narborough expedition to Chile, 1670: Defense of Valdivia, indian rumours, information on prisoners, and the belief in the City of the Césares |journal=[[Magallania]] |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=11–36 |doi=10.4067/S0718-22442017000200011 |url=https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-22442017000200011&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=es |access-date=27 December 2019 |doi-access=free |archive-date=16 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516145116/https://scielo.conicyt.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-22442017000200011&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=es |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the 17th and 18th centuries, most of [[Chiloé Archipelago]]'s population was [[bilingual]], and according to [[John Byron]], many Spaniards preferred to use the local [[Huilliche language]] because they considered it "more beautiful".<ref>Byron, John. El naufragio de la fragata "Wager". 1955. Santiago: Zig-zag.</ref> Around the same time, [[Governorate of Chiloé|Governor]] [[Antonio Narciso de Santa María|Narciso de Santa María]] complained that Spanish settlers in the islands could not speak Spanish properly, but could speak Veliche, and that this second language was more used.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cárdenas A. |first1=Renato |last2=Montiel Vera |first2=Dante |last3=Grace Hall |first3=Catherine |date=1991 |title=Los chono y los veliche de Chiloé |url=http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/archivos2/pdfs/MC0012567.pdf |location=Santiago de Chile |publisher=Olimpho |page=277 |author-link1=Renato Cárdenas |language=es |access-date=2020-01-18 |archive-date=2020-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128203435/http://www.memoriachilena.gob.cl/archivos2/pdfs/MC0012567.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>