Nahuatl

[ nah-waht-l ]

/ ˈnɑ wɑt l /

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noun, plural Na·hua·tls, (especially collectively) Na·hua·tl.

a member of any of various peoples of ancient origin ranging from southeastern Mexico to parts of Central America and including the Aztecs.

a Uto-Aztecan language spoken by over half a million people mostly in central Mexico.Compare Aztec (def. 2).

adjective

of or relating to the Nahuatl language or peoples.

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Origin of Nahuatl

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

Words nearby Nahuatl

Nahal, NAHB, nahcolite, NAHT, Nahua, Nahuatl, Nahuatlan, Nahum, NAI, naiad, NAIC

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Nahuatl in a sentence

The waterways of Mexico are the only natural habitat of the axolotl—“water monster” in Nahuatl—although the amphibian is abundant in captivity and a popular pet in various corners of the world.
Farmers and scientists unite to save the home of an endangered salamander|Lourdes Medrano/Undark|August 2, 2022|Popular-Science
One shows four helices around a central circle or eye, and stands for ollin, meaning “movement” in Nahuatl.
This pictogram is one of the oldest known accounts of earthquakes in the Americas|Carolyn Gramling|September 7, 2021|Science News
Some languages, however, such as Iroquois and Nahuatl, employ the method of composition for much heavier work than this.
Language|Edward Sapir
Up to 160,000 the Nahuatl system is as simple and regular in its construction as the English.
The Number Concept|Levi Leonard Conant

The Cholulans were of Nahuatl origin and were semi-independent, yielding only a nominal allegiance to Montezuma.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3|Various
The Canaque scale differs from the Nahuatl only in forming a compound word for 15, instead of introducing a new and simple term.
The Number Concept|Levi Leonard Conant
On account of its importance, the Nahuatl system365 is given in fuller detail than most of the other systems I have made use of.
The Number Concept|Levi Leonard Conant

British Dictionary definitions for Nahuatl

Nahuatl

/ (ˈnɑːwɑːtəl, nɑːˈwɑːtəl) /

noun

plural -tl or -tls a member of one of a group of Central American and Mexican Indian peoples including the Aztecs

the language of these peoples, belonging to the Uto-Aztecan family

Former name: Nahuatlan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012