Nahua peoples
The word "Aztec" in modern usage would not have been used by the people themselves. It has variously been used to refer to the Triple Alliance, the Nahuatl-speaking people of central Mexico prior to the Spanish conquest, or specifically the Mexica ethnicity of the Nahuatl-speaking peoples. The name comes from the Nahuatl word "aztecatl" () meaning "people from Aztlan", reflecting the mythical place of origin for Nahua peoples. For the purpose of this article, "Aztec" refers only to those cities that constituted or were subject to the Triple Alliance. For the broader use of the term, see the article on Aztec civilization.