Nahuatl

[nah-waht-l]

noun

plural

Nahuatls ,

plural

Nahuatl .

1. a member of any of various peoples of ancient origin ranging from southeastern Mexico to parts of Central America and including the Aztecs.

2. a Uto-Aztecan language spoken by over half a million people mostly in central Mexico.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Nahuatl language or peoples.

Nahuatl

/ ˈnɑːwɑːtəl, nɑːˈwɑːtəl /

noun

1. a member of one of a group of Central American and Mexican Indian peoples including the Aztecs

2. the language of these peoples, belonging to the Uto-Aztecan family

Word History and Origins

Origin of Nahuatl¹

1815–25; < Spanish náhuatl < Nahuatl nāhuatl something that makes an agreeable sound, a second-language speaker of one's own language

Example Sentences

Over the next two hours, the audience snapped their fingers, applauded, hooted in approval or nodded as speakers poured out their proverbial hearts in English, Spanish and Nahuatl.

From Los Angeles Times

When looking through the vast selection, visitors can find stories from almost every Latin American country and even a few in Indigenous languages like Nahuatl and Zapotec.

From Los Angeles Times

Picture books teaching Spanish speakers words in Nahuatl and Maya.

From Los Angeles Times

Apart from the "talciguines" - Nahuatl for devilish men - one character represents Jesus.

From BBC

In a call and response, they taught words in Nahuatl, introduced instruments and explained the sounds they carried, as well as the spirituality.

From Los Angeles Times