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
His latest book is Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems.
—
Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
During the first half of the 20th century, the poinsettia was popular but true to its Nahuatl name, an easily withering plant.
—Norman Ellstrand and Nathan Ellstrand / Made By History, TIME, 23 Dec. 2024
Brazilians primarily speak Portuguese, and millions of people in Latin America speak Indigenous languages, such as Nahuatl, K'iche' and Quechua.
—Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024
For instance, the name Xochitl is from the Nahuatl tradition, but the Global Americana baby naming trend also incorporates names that are more commonly heard in the U.S.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 2 Oct. 2024
The Música Mexicana revolution shaping Southern California Sept. 19, 2024
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.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
Many dairy workers, who are mostly immigrants, speak Indigenous languages like Nahuatl or K’iche, according to the National Center for Farmworker Health, a nonprofit that offers support and training for centers that focus on the health of farmworkers.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 9 July 2024
Picture books teaching Spanish speakers words in Nahuatl and Maya.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
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
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Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
During the first half of the 20th century, the poinsettia was popular but true to its Nahuatl name, an easily withering plant.
—Norman Ellstrand and Nathan Ellstrand / Made By History, TIME, 23 Dec. 2024
Brazilians primarily speak Portuguese, and millions of people in Latin America speak Indigenous languages, such as Nahuatl, K'iche' and Quechua.
—Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024
For instance, the name Xochitl is from the Nahuatl tradition, but the Global Americana baby naming trend also incorporates names that are more commonly heard in the U.S.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 2 Oct. 2024
The Música Mexicana revolution shaping Southern California Sept. 19, 2024
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.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
Many dairy workers, who are mostly immigrants, speak Indigenous languages like Nahuatl or K’iche, according to the National Center for Farmworker Health, a nonprofit that offers support and training for centers that focus on the health of farmworkers.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 9 July 2024
Picture books teaching Spanish speakers words in Nahuatl and Maya.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
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
Cite this Entry
“Nahuatl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Nahuatl. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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