Nahuatl

[ nah-waht-l ]

noun

, plural Na·hua·tls, (especially collectively) Na·hua·tl.

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. Compare Aztec ( def 2 ).

adjective

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

Nahuatl

/ ˈnɑːwɑːtəl; nɑːˈwɑːtəl /

noun

1. -tl-tls 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

The waterways of Mexico are the only natural habitat of the axolotl—“water monster” in Nahuatl—although the amphibian is abundant in captivity and a popular pet in various corners of the world.

From Popular-Science

One shows four helices around a central circle or eye, and stands for ollin, meaning “movement” in Nahuatl.

From Science News

Some languages, however, such as Iroquois and Nahuatl, employ the method of composition for much heavier work than this.

From Project Gutenberg

Up to 160,000 the Nahuatl system is as simple and regular in its construction as the English.

From Project Gutenberg

The Cholulans were of Nahuatl origin and were semi-independent, yielding only a nominal allegiance to Montezuma.

From Project Gutenberg

The Canaque scale differs from the Nahuatl only in forming a compound word for 15, instead of introducing a new and simple term.

From Project Gutenberg

On account of its importance, the Nahuatl system365 is given in fuller detail than most of the other systems I have made use of.

From Project Gutenberg