Nahuatl

Nahuatl is a language spoken by 1.5 million people, mostly in Mexico.

 History 
Nahuatl has existed since the 7th century CE.

The first people to speak Nahuatl were indigenous peoples in central Mexico.  The Aztecs and the Toltecs spoke an early form of Nahuatl.

The people of Teotihuacan may have spoken Nahuatl.

Nahuatl has changed since the end of the Aztec Empire. Over time, many different dialects of Nahuatl have developed. Today, people who speak different dialects do not always understand one another.

The words "Mexico," "Guatemala," and "Nicaragua" all come from Nahuatl.

 Today 
Today, most people who speak Nahuatl live in central Mexico, but a few live in other parts of Mexico or in the United States.

Nahuatl is one of the official languages of Mexico. However, most people who speak it now also speak Spanish.

Many phrases that are unique to Mexican Spanish come from Nahuatl, according to the American linguist John Lipski. Those unique phrases are called "Mexicanisms." An example is ándale, which often means "let's go." Another example is the word Bueno? and is used by many Spanish-speakers when they answer the telephone.

 Nahuatl words in English 
Here are some English words of Nahuatl origin:
 avocado
 axolotl
 cacao and cocoa
 chili
 chocolate
 coyote
 ocelot
 peyote
 sapote
 tequila
 tomato

Related pages
 Miguel León-Portilla

Notes

References

Category:Nahuatl language