What does Nahuatl mean?

Definitions for Nahuatl
ˈnɑ wɑt lnahu·atl

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Nahuatl.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. Nahuatlnoun

    a member of any of various Indian peoples of central Mexico

  2. Nahuatlnoun

    the Uto-Aztecan language spoken by the Nahuatl

Wiktionary

  1. Nahuatlnoun

    The polysynthetic Aztecan language spoken by an indigenous people of Mexico.

  2. Nahuatlnoun

    A group of people indigenous to the Central Mexico region spanning multiple tribal groups including the Aztecs.

  3. Nahuatlnoun

    All persons descended from pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Western hemisphere.

  4. Etymology: from nahuatl, nahuatlatolli.

Wikipedia

  1. Nahuatl

    Nahuatl (English: ; Nahuatl pronunciation: [ˈnaːwat͡ɬ] (listen)), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about 1.7 million Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller populations in the United States. Nahuatl has been spoken in central Mexico since at least the seventh century CE. It was the language of the Aztec/Mexica, who dominated what is now central Mexico during the Late Postclassic period of Mesoamerican history. During the centuries preceding the Spanish and Tlaxcalan conquest of the Aztec Empire, the Aztecs had expanded to incorporate a large part of central Mexico. Their influence caused the variety of Nahuatl spoken by the residents of Tenochtitlan to become a prestige language in Mesoamerica. After the conquest, when Spanish colonists and missionaries introduced the Latin alphabet, Nahuatl also became a literary language. Many chronicles, grammars, works of poetry, administrative documents and codices were written in it during the 16th and 17th centuries. This early literary language based on the Tenochtitlan variety has been labeled Classical Nahuatl. It is among the most studied and best-documented languages of the Americas.Today, Nahuan languages are spoken in scattered communities, mostly in rural areas throughout central Mexico and along the coastline. There are considerable differences among varieties, and some are not mutually intelligible. Huasteca Nahuatl, with over one million speakers, is the most-spoken variety. All varieties have been subject to varying degrees of influence from Spanish. No modern Nahuan languages are identical to Classical Nahuatl, but those spoken in and around the Valley of Mexico are generally more closely related to it than those on the periphery. Under Mexico's General Law of Linguistic Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, promulgated in 2003, Nahuatl and the other 63 indigenous languages of Mexico are recognized as lenguas nacionales ('national languages') in the regions where they are spoken. They are given the same status as Spanish within their respective regions.Nahuan languages exhibit a complex morphology, or system of word formation, characterized by polysynthesis and agglutination. This means that morphemes – words or fragments of words that each contain their own separate meaning – are often strung together to make longer complex words. Through a very long period of development alongside other indigenous Mesoamerican languages, they have absorbed many influences, coming to form part of the Mesoamerican language area. Many words from Nahuatl were absorbed into Spanish and, from there, were diffused into hundreds of other languages in the region. Most of these loanwords denote things indigenous to central Mexico, which the Spanish heard mentioned for the first time by their Nahuatl names. English has also absorbed words of Nahuatl origin, including avocado, chayote, chili, chipotle, chocolate, atlatl, coyote, peyote, axolotl and tomato.

ChatGPT

  1. nahuatl

    Nahuatl is a group of related languages and dialects belonging to the Uto-Aztecan language family, spoken primarily by indigenous populations in central Mexico. It was, and still is, most widely recognized as the language of the Aztecs. Several dialects of Nahuatl continue to be spoken today, though its use has significantly diminished since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The distinct vocabulary and grammar of Nahuatl has also contributed to the Spanish language, particularly in Mexico.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce Nahuatl?

How to say Nahuatl in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Nahuatl in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Nahuatl in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Nahuatl#100000#117667#333333

Translations for Nahuatl

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for Nahuatl »

Translation

Find a translation for the Nahuatl definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Nahuatl." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Nahuatl>.

Discuss these Nahuatl definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for Nahuatl? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    Nahuatl

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    an undivided or unbroken completeness or totality with nothing wanting
    A integrity
    B mediocrity
    C contribution
    D confectionery

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for Nahuatl: