Nahuatl Borrowings in Mexican Spanish Vocabulary


Mexican Word Nahuatl Word English Translation
Aguacate Ahuacatl Avocado
Amate Amatl paper made from bark
Asquel A small ant
Cacahuate Tlacucahuatl Peanut
Cacle Shoe
Camote Camotli Sweet potato
Capulín   Cherry

Chamaco

Chamahuac Young Boy
Chante Home
Chapopote   Tar
Chayote Chayotli A type of Mexican squash
Chicle   Gum
Chile Chilli  
Chipotle Chilpoctli Chipotle (same name) type of red chile
Chiquito Very small
     
Chocolate   Chocolate (same name)
Copal    
Coyote Coyotl Coyote (same name)
Cuate Cuatl Twin or slang for buddy
Elote   Corn on the Cob
Escuincle Itzcuintli Small Child (also is a hairless prehispanic dog)
Guacamole Ahuaca-molli Guacamole (same name)
Guajolote   Turkey
Huacal Huacalli Cage made from sticks
Huarache   Sandal
Hule Olli Rubber
Jicama Xicamatl  
Jícara Xicalli cup or cup made from Jicaro tree
Jitomate Xictomatl Tomato Variety
Mecate   Rope
Mescal Mexcalli Mescal (same name)
Mezquite Mizquitl Mesquite (same name)
Molcajete   Kitchen Mortar
Malacate   Winch
Mayate Mayatl Beetle
Moyote Moyotl Flying Beetle or Horse Fly
Milpa Milpa Agricultural field
Mitote Mitotiqui Cause an Uproar, racket
Nopal Nopalli Nopal a cactus which is eaten
Ocelote Ocelotl Ocelot similar to a jaguar but smaller
Olote Olotl Corn Husk - espiga del maíz (sin los granos)
Papalote Papalotl Kite and Windmill
Petaca   Suitcase
Petate   Weaved mattress
Peyote Peyotl Peyote (same name)
Popote   Drinking Straw
Pozole Potzolli Traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew
Pulque Poliuhqui means spoiled but is an alcoholic drink with the same name
Tamale Tamalli Tamale (same name)
Tecolote Tecolotl Owl
Tequila   Tequila (same name)
Tianguis Tianquiztli Tianguis Market (same name)
Tlacuache Tlacuatzin Opossum
Tlapalería   Type of hardware store
Tocayo   Namesake
Tomate Tomatl Tomato (same name)
Zacate   Grass, Weeds
Zopilote Tzopilotl Vulture
Zapote Tzapotl A tropical tree and its fruit
     
Nahuatl has given the English Lanugage some words for indigenous animals, fruits, vegetables, and tools. The most prominent are chocolate, tomato, coyote avocado, and chile or chili. Chiclets gum's name comes from the Nahuatl word chicle!

Nahuatl is related to the languages spoken by the Hopi, Comanche, Pima, Shoshone, and other peoples of western North America, as they all belong to the Uto-Aztecan language family.
	itacate			bundle
	jocoque			yoghurt
	zenzontle		mocking bird
	Zoquete			Mud, a fool

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