NAHUATAL

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Nahuatl is a group of indigenous languages spoken by the Nahua people, primarily in central Mexico. It's best known as the language of the Aztecs, especially the Mexica people of Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City).

Quick Facts:

• Language family: Uto-Aztecan

• Spoken in: Mexico (especially in Puebla, Veracruz, Hidalgo, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Mexico State)

• Number of speakers: Around 1.5 million people today

• Writing system: Originally pictographic (Aztec codices), later written using the Latin alphabet after Spanish colonization

Historical Importance:

• Nahuatl was the lingua franca of much of Mesoamerica during the height of the Aztec Empire.

• Many modern Spanish and English words come from Nahuatl, including:

  • Chocolate (from xocolatl)

  • Tomato (from tomatl)

  • Avocado (from ahuacatl)

  • Coyote (from coyotl)

Variants:

There isn’t just one “Nahuatl” — there are many dialects and varieties, some of which are quite different from each other.

Would you like to hear how Nahuatl sounds or see some basic phrases?