Nahuatl

American  

[nah-waht-l] / ˈnɑ wɑt l /

noun

Nahuatls, plural Nahuatl plural

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.

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adjective

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

Nahuatl British  

/ ˈnɑːwɑːtəl, nɑːˈwɑːtəl /

noun

1. 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

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• Nahuatl
  plural
• Nahuatls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Nahuatl

1815–25; < Spanish náhuatl < Nahuatl nāhuatl something that makes an agreeable sound, a second-language speaker of one's own language

Example Sentences

Whether you watch with the original Spanish track or the English dub, the dialogue is laced with phrases and words in the Nahuatl language, the native tongue of the Aztecs.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

Apart from the "talciguines" - Nahuatl for devilish men - one character represents Jesus.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2024

The gallery’s namesake is Nepantla, a Nahuatl word that means “in the middle,” which Prendez describes as the place where one heals, rejuvenates or creates.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2023

While it's not clear if the opera's organizers will offer more showings, some in attendance who likely saw their first-ever Nahuatl opera were clearly moved by Cuitlahuac's story.

From Reuters • Jul. 19, 2023

I also found on Google the next day that Popocatepetl is really a volcano, and the name is literally Nahuatl for “smoking mountain.”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera