Yachay is a word of Quechua origin, the ancestral language of the Andes, meaning knowledge, wisdom, education, capacity, ability, and talent. In the Andean worldview, yachay refers not only to intellectual learning but also to the practical and spiritual wisdom acquired throughout life and placed at the service of the community.

Yachayniyuq comes from yachay (knowledge) and the suffix -niyuq, which indicates possession. Therefore, yachayniyuq means a person who possesses knowledge, wisdom, and talents, and knows how to apply them with responsibility and purpose. In Andean tradition, being yachayniyuq is recognition of a balance between knowing, doing, and being, in harmony with both the community and nature.