What are some English words of Nahuatl origin?
English has also absorbed words of Nahuatl origin, including avocado, chayote, chili, chipotle, chocolate, atlatl, coyote, peyote, axolotl and tomato . As a language label, the term Nahuatl encompasses a group of closely related languages or divergent dialects within the Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family.
What are the characteristics of the Nahuatl language?
The Nahuatl languages are agglutinative, polysynthetic languages that make extensive use of compounding, incorporation and derivation. That is, they can add many different prefixes and suffixes to a root until very long words are formed, and a single word can constitute an entire sentence.
How many people speak Nahuatl today?
Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about 1.7 million Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico, and a small number live in Nahuatl speaking communities in the U.S. Nahuatl has been spoken in central Mexico since at least the seventh century CE.
What are some examples of Nahuatl loan words?
Most of these loanwords denote things indigenous to central Mexico which the Spanish heard mentioned for the first time by their Nahuatl names. English words of Nahuatl origin include "avocado", "chayote", "chili", "chocolate", "atlatl", "coyote", "peyote", "axolotl" and "tomato".
How do you say love in Aztec?
Yollotl. Love is a universal language, but it's always fun, and romantic, to learn some words that describe it in other languages. Yollotl is the Nahuatl word for “heart.”
How do you say beautiful in Nahuatl?
In Nahuatl, we don't just “drop” the copula. Instead, we treat the noun/adjective in question as a verb, adding a subject prefix to it. “Beautiful” is “cualtzin,” “cualnēzqui” or “quetzaltic,” to be a little more poetic. “You are beautiful” is “ticualtzin,” “ticualnēzqui” or “tiquetzaltic.”
How do you say Angel in Nahuatl?
ángel.(a loanword from Spanish)Headword: ... an angel (see attestations)angelotin (noun) = angels.More items...
What does Ixpol mean in Aztec?
NorthernersILHUI/Days. ITZTOLI/Metal or Shank. IXPOL/Northerners. IXTLI/Eye.
How do you say Princess in Aztec?
Nahuatl (Aztec) translation: nayeli.
What does Cualtzin mean?
Cualtzin (kwaltsin): The word originates from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec Empire, and is still spoken in some parts in the Valley of Mexico. Cualtzin means pretty, beautiful, gorgeous.
How do you say soul in Nahuatl?
-Yolia is one of the principal indigenous terms present in Christian Nahua terminology in the first decades of European contact. It is employed for “soul” or “spirit” and often forms a doublet with ánima in Nahuatl texts of an ecclesiastical, devotional, or secular nature.
How do you say heart in Nahuatl?
Yollotl is the Nahuatl word for “heart.”
How do you say star in Aztec?
Citlalee: (pronounced see-tah-lee) A beautiful celestial, gender-neutral Aztec name, Citalee means “star”.
How do you say friend in Nahuatl?
(i)cnīuh(tli). friend; almost always possessed.
How do you say life in Nahuatl?
NEMILIZ-TLI life / vida (C), vida, conducta, manera de vivir (S) See NEM(I). Frances Karttunen, An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992), 166.
How do you say brother in Aztec?
Instead of one Nahuatl word for 'brother,' there are two, one for 'older brother' and one for 'younger brother. ' 'Older brother' is āchcāuhtli. 'Younger brother' is iccaāuhtli.
How do you say Rose in Nahuatl?
xochitl. Alonso de Molina: xochitl. rosa, o flor.
How do you say Girl in Nahuatl?
One of the most important words in any Latina's life is “mujer.” It's super cool to learn how to say this empowering and strong word in Nahuatl. The term is “siwatl,” also written as “cihuatl,” and it is also used to describe a wife/bride, female, girl, hen, and uterus.
How do you say flower in Nahuatl?
The origin of the name Xochitl comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word for "flower".
What are different ways to say gorgeous?
elegant,exquisite,glorious,Junoesque,magnificent,resplendent,splendid,statuesque,More items...
Who spoke the Nahuatl?
The Virgin’s Nahuatl. The most well-known words in Nahuatl were not pronounced by an indigenous person at all. Instead, they were purportedly spoken by Mary herself, the mother of Jesus, when she appeared for the fourth time to a man named Juan Diego Cuāuhtlahtoātzin near the hill of Tepēyac. The story goes that the Virgin had begun appearing ...
When did Juan Diego try to avoid Mary's apparition?
Having failed, Juan Diego tried to avoid Mary’s apparition on the morning of December 12, 1531.
Most used Nahuatl words
Cacao came from the Nahuatl word cacahuatl and was used by the conqueror Hernán Cortés, who introduced chocolate to Europe in 1519 after his visit to the court of the Aztec king Moctezuma II, where he was served a bitter cocoa drink. Cocoa initially referred to parts of the plant: the seed, the pod, the bean, and the tree itself.
Nouns in Nahuatl
The word comes from the Nahuatl name mizquitl. They are small thorny trees or shrubs of the genus Prosopis that have flowers in axillary cylindrical spikes followed by large sugar-rich pods. The boardwalk at Anzalduas Park has become a hot spot for crossings and photo opportunities under palm trees and mesquite.
Adjectives in Nahuatl
In Nahuatl the word Toca is used to determine that we are covered or stained with impure substances.
What language do you call your mom in Nahuatl?
You already know how to say “mom” in Nahuatl, but like TLC once said, “what about your friends?!” Surprise your BFF by calling her “amiga” in the Aztec/Nahua language: ikniutli.
What is the Nahuatl word for Pozolli?
Now it’s time for another Nahuatl word you know, in some form or another. Pozolli is the Nahuatl word for “pozole,” or “posole,” the delicious hominy, meat, seasoned and garnished stew from Mexico and New Mexico. This is a good thing to point out to those you are with when downing a bowl of this warm and cozy meal.
What is the word for prickly pears in Nahuatl?
The next word in Nahuatl we will learn next is another familiar-looking one. “Nohpalli” is how we got the word “nopal.” Nopales refer to prickly pears, a.k.a. Opuntia cacti (native to Mexico), and their pads.
What is the name of the sacred feathers of the Quetzal?
Many Mexican names come from Nahuatl words. Quetzalli is Nahuatl for “feather,” “precious thing,” and/or “which is adorned with the sacred feathers of the quetzal.”. These names, in addition to being unique and pretty, also shout out and show pride for indigenous roots.
Where does cilantro come from?
Cilantro (and we assume culantro as well, as it is native to the Americas) comes from the Nahuatl word “culanto.”
What is the most important word in Latina life?
One of the most important words in any Latina’s life is “mujer.”. It’s super cool to learn how to say this empowering and strong word in Nahuatl. The term is “siwatl,” also written as “cihuatl,” and it is also used to describe a wife/bride, female, girl, hen, and uterus. Now, go and say “siwatl/cihuatl,” loud and proud!
Where do avocados come from?
Avocados are actually native to South Central Mexico and Central America, where its name also originated.