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List of Spanish words of Nahuatl origin

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Documented Nahuatl words in the Spanish language (mostly as spoken in Mexico and Mesoamerica), also called Nahuatlismos include an extensive list of words that represent (i) animals, (ii) plants, fruit and vegetables, (iii) foods and beverages, and (iv) domestic appliances.

Many of these words end with the absolutive suffix "-tl" in Nahuatl. This word ending—thought to be difficult for Spanish speakers to pronounce at the time—evolved in Spanish into a "-te" ending (e.g. axolotl = ajolote). As a rule of thumb, a Spanish word for an animal, plant, food or home appliance widely used in Mexico and ending in "-te" is highly likely to have a Nahuatl origin.

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Animals

  1. Acocil (crayfish)
  2. Ajolote (axolotl)
  3. Cacomixtle
  4. Chapulín (grasshopper)
  5. Cenzontle (mockingbird)
  6. Coyote
  7. Escamoles (ant eggs)
  8. Guachinango (red snapper)
  9. Guajolote (turkey)
  10. Ocelote (ocelot)
  11. Mapache (raccoon)
  12. Mayate (beetle)
  13. Moyote (mosquito)
  14. Pinacate
  15. Pizote (Coati)
  16. Quetzal
  17. Tecolote (owl)
  18. Tepezcuintle
  19. Techalote (squirrel)
  20. Tlacuache (opossum)
  21. Xoloitzcuintli (Mexican Hairless Dog)
  22. Zanate (Grackle)
  23. Zopilote (vulture)
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Plants, fruits and vegetables

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Jitomate at Tepoztlan market, Mexico
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Foods and drinks

Names of places

Countries

States/Provinces/Departments

Cities

Geographical elements

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Other terms, includes home appliances

  • Ayate
  • Azteca (Aztec)
  • Cacle (shoe or sandal, from "cactli")
  • Capulín
  • Chamarra
  • Chamaco ("boy", used in Mexican slang, from "chamahuac", meaning "plump")
  • Chamagoso
  • Chapopote
  • Chinampa
  • Chiquihuite (hollow basket that holds tortillas)
  • Comal (clay cookware)
  • Copal
  • Cuate (fraternal twin)
  • Escuincle (a child)
  • Huipil
  • Hule (rubber or plastic)
  • Itacate
  • Jacal (shack)
  • Jícara = clay cup / calabash
  • Macho = exemplar, one that is worthy of imitation[5]
  • Malacate
  • Malinche ("traitor", a reference to Doña Marina, or Malintzin)
  • Mecapal (tumpline)
  • Mecate (rope)
  • Metate (grinding stones)
  • Mitote
  • Molcajete (mortar and pestle)
  • Nixtamal
  • Ocote
  • Otate
  • Paliacate
  • Cacle (from nahuatl, Cactli)
  • Papalote (kite)
  • Pepenar
  • Petaca
  • Petate (sleeping mat of woven palm fiber)
  • Peyote
  • Piciete ("cigarette", used in rural Mexico, from "picietl", literally "tobacco")
  • Popote (straw)
  • Tenamaste
  • Tepetate
  • Tianguis = open air market
  • Tiza
  • Tzompantli (skull banner)
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See also

References

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