milpa
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of milpa
1835–45, < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl mīlpan, equivalent to mīl ( li ) cultivated field + -pan locative suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One is a giant monoculture Iowa farm, and the other is the milpa, this polyculture system that was the way corn was grown during its rise in Mesoamerica.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024
In my book, "Rooting in a Useless Land: Ancient Farmers, Celebrity Chefs, and Environmental Justice in Yucatán," I trace the deep history of the Maya milpa.
From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2024
As soon as his companion woke up, he would take the animal home, where it helps plow the milpa — rows of corn, beans and squash — on his family’s farm.
From New York Times ● May 9, 2023
All of the land is communally owned, divvied up by a town council into small plots where residents practice traditional milpa subsistence agriculture rotating maize, beans, chilis, squash, and agave.
From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2016
“The milpa is the only system that permits that kind of long-term use.”
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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