Spanish/English Words w/Nahuatl Origin

[R. Joe Campbell]

Marcos,
   I just re-read your message (which is perfectly clear) and realized
(duh!) that you were interested in Spanish words too (I had thought just
English words), so here is a list I compiled a few years ago.

Best regards,

Joe


                Nahuatl Contributions to Spanish Vocabulary

Spanish Word            Nahuatl Word            Meaning in Spanish

amate                   amatl                   bark paper (used for paintings)
ahuate/ahuatar          ahhuatl                 thorn/to get stuck with a thorn
cacle                   cactli                  sandal
camote                  camohtli                sweet potato
chicle                  tzictli                 chewing gum
                         (meant sticky gum)
chicote                 xicohtli                whip
                         (meant bumblebee)
chile                   chilli                  chili pepper
chocolate               xoco-l-atl              chocolate
                         (sour-ed-water)
coyote                  coyotl                  coyote
cuate                   coatl                   snake, twin, buddy
elote                   elotl                   ear of corn
escuincle               izcuintli               child, kid
                         (meant dog)
gachupin                cactli-tzupinia         Spaniard
                         (meant sandal-to prick)
huipil                  huipilli                indigenous shift, blouse
hule                    ulli, olli              rubber
itacate                 itacatl                 carried lunch
jacal                   xacalli                 hut
mayate                  mayatl                  beetle
mecate                  mecatl                  rope
mezquite                mizquitl                mezquite
milpa                   milpan                  cornfield
mole                    molli                   sauce
ocote                   ocotl                   pine tree, pine wood
papalote                papalotl                paper kite
                         (meant butterfly)
petate                  petlatl                 reed mat
pozole                  pozolli                 hominy soup
quelite                 quilitl                 edible greens
tamal                   tamalli                 tamale
tecolote                tecolotl                owl
tomate                  tomatl                  tomato
zacate                  zacatl                  grass
zoquite                 zoquitl                 clay, mud




                        Compound Words

Spanish Word            Nahuatl Word            Meaning in Spanish

ajolote                 atl-xolotl              salamander
                         (water-doll)
guacamole               ahuacatl-molli          guacamole
                         (avocado-sauce)
guajolote               huei-xolotl             turkey
                         (big-doll/page)
jitomate                xictli-tomatl           tomato (red)
                         (navel-boll)
metlapil                metlatl-pilli           metate grinder
                         (metate-child)
petaca                  petlatl-calli           suitcase
                         (reed mat-house/container)
pilmama                 pilli-mama              nursemaid
                         (child-carry)
tejocote                tetl-xocotl             kind of fruit
                         (stone-sour)
tejolote                tetl-xolotl             pestle
                         (stone-doll)
temazcal                temaztli-calli          steam-bath house
                         (bath-house)
tlacuache               tla-cua-tzin            possum
                         (something-eat-diminutive)
tocayo                  tocaitl-yo              person of the same name
                         (name-ness)
zopilote                tzotl-piloa             vulture
                         (filth-hang)




On Mon, 29 Nov 1999, Marcos Ochoa wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> I am wondering if there is a list of english and/or spanish words that are
> strictly nahuatl in origin. I think chili and chocolate are two of the examples.
>
> Thank You,
> -Marcos Romero-Ochoa
>