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

When looking through the vast selection, visitors can find stories from almost every Latin American country and even a few in Indigenous languages like Nahuatl and Zapotec.

From Los Angeles Times

Picture books teaching Spanish speakers words in Nahuatl and Maya.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

In a call and response, they taught words in Nahuatl, introduced instruments and explained the sounds they carried, as well as the spirituality.

From Los Angeles Times

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