Nahuatl
noun
Na·huatl
ˈnä-ˌwä-tᵊl 
: a group of closely related Uto-Aztecan languages that includes the speech of several peoples (such as the Aztecs) of central and southern Mexico and Central America
Examples of Nahuatl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Like Voynich, many modern scholars suspect that the manuscript’s text is a ciphered form of a familiar language, with their theories of the tome’s latent linguistics flitting from Latin to Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs and Toltecs of Mexico.
—
Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024
The latter, known as pinole, typically uses blue or purple corn and is as its Nahuatl name, pinolli, suggests: roasted and ground maíz.
—Andrea Aliseda, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024
As an online source, the codex, initially written in Nahuatl and Spanish, was translated into English.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
Playing what was essentially a game of telephone, the duo interpreted from Spanish to Mayan and from Mayan to Nahuatl, in the process swaying a large group of Indigenous vassals who were tired of paying tribute to Moctezuma and his allies.
—Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024
Except, in the codex, many of these homophones were based on Nahuatl words, requiring knowledge of the language to decipher them.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023
In the earliest days of Spanish colonization of what is now the U.S.-Mexico border region, settlers speaking Nahuatl, the Aztec language, probably outnumbered Spaniards.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
At his school, Speak Nahuatl, Cayetano not only teaches the language but also the deeper meaning behind the words.
—Constanza Eliana Chinea, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023
The most basic form of the dish very likely goes back to the Aztecs (even its name, chee-luh-KEY-lays, originates from the Nahuatl language), and over hundreds of years, variations embedded themselves throughout Mexican culture.
—Bryan Washington, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2023
Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024
The latter, known as pinole, typically uses blue or purple corn and is as its Nahuatl name, pinolli, suggests: roasted and ground maíz.
—Andrea Aliseda, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2024
As an online source, the codex, initially written in Nahuatl and Spanish, was translated into English.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
Playing what was essentially a game of telephone, the duo interpreted from Spanish to Mayan and from Mayan to Nahuatl, in the process swaying a large group of Indigenous vassals who were tired of paying tribute to Moctezuma and his allies.
—Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024
Except, in the codex, many of these homophones were based on Nahuatl words, requiring knowledge of the language to decipher them.
—Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2023
In the earliest days of Spanish colonization of what is now the U.S.-Mexico border region, settlers speaking Nahuatl, the Aztec language, probably outnumbered Spaniards.
—Andrew Van Dam, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023
At his school, Speak Nahuatl, Cayetano not only teaches the language but also the deeper meaning behind the words.
—Constanza Eliana Chinea, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023
The most basic form of the dish very likely goes back to the Aztecs (even its name, chee-luh-KEY-lays, originates from the Nahuatl language), and over hundreds of years, variations embedded themselves throughout Mexican culture.
—Bryan Washington, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Nahuatl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Nahuatl
Cite this Entry
“Nahuatl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Nahuatl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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