Cuba

Cuba (an island and country in the Caribbean)


Portugal

Borrowed from Spanish Portugal, from Latin Portus Cale, former name of what is now the city of Vila Nova de Gaia.

Portugal (a country in Southern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula)


Egipto

Egypt (a country in North Africa and Western Asia)


Juan

From Spanish Juan, from Latin Iohannes, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Biblical Hebrew יוחנן (yókhanan).

onquimitalhui yn anatzin quimolhuili yn iatzin jua migeltzin […] camo miactin niquipian nopilhua ca ça yehuatl y noxihuato

1583, grant of a site for a house, San Miguel Tocuillan (Tetzcoco)

Ana spoke and said to her older brother Juan Miguel […] "I don't have many children, only my little Juan"


Filipinas

Philippines (a country in Southeast Asia)


Dios

Borrowed from Spanish Dios, from Latin Deus.

in ytlalhticpac in totecuyo omitzyocux, omitzpic, omitztlacatili in ypalhnemoani in Dios.

1547, Andrés de Olmos, Arte para aprender la lengua mexicana:

Cuix oticmotlaçotilli in motlâtocatzin Dios? | Amaſte à tu Dios, y Señor?

1673, Augustin de Vetancurt, Arte de lengua mexicana


Alemania

auh yn ipan tlalli Alemania yehuatl yn obispo ytocayocan Bãberga

and in the land of Germany, the bishop of the place called Bamberg


Quetzalcoatl

Translingual: Quetzalcoatlus

English: Quetzalcoatl

Spanish: Quetzalcóatl

From quetzalli (“a quetzal tail feather”) + cōātl (“a snake”).

compound

Quequetzalcoa. miniſtros de cierto ydolo que ſe llamaua quetzalcoatl.

1571, Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, Pt 2, f. 89r. col. 1:

Quequetzalcoa. ministers of a certain idol they called Quetzalcoatl.


iglesia

Borrowed from Spanish iglesia (“church”), from Old Spanish eglesia, from Vulgar Latin eclesia, from Latin ecclēsia, from Ancient Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklēsía, “assembly”).

der

Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

(colonial) (it is) the Roman Catholic Church.


Mixtlan

mixtli (“cloud”) + -tlān (“place suffix”).

A community in the Aztec province of Tochtepec.


Mictlanteuctli

From mictlān (“the realm of the dead”) + tēuctli (“lord”).

compound

An Aztec god, one of the Lords of the Night.


Tenochtitlan

The ligatured locative suffix -ti-tlan ("below, beneath, at the base of") is preceded by the element *Tenoch-, which is of disputed etymology. The name Tenochtitlan is represented in the Aztec writing system in the form of the glyph shown here, which perhaps suggests Andrews' etymology (see below), unless one or both of the syllables te and noch are here used only phonetically in the glyph, with little indication of the actual meaning (vowel length seldom if ever had any indication in hieroglyphic writing). In addition, while the short vowel in te- is undisputed, the vowel length of -noch-/-nōch- is disputed, as noted by Karttunen.
* Andrews (2003) gives tetl "rock" + nōchtli "prickly-pear fruit" + -ti- + -tlan "near", i.e. "At the Place Near Rock-cactus-Fruit".
* Lockhart (2001) says "the meaning and nature of tenoch- is not entirely clear despite general consensus that it refers to a type of cactus."
* Karttunen (1983) says "NŌCH-TLI 'fruit of the prickly pear cactus' is often cited as a constituent of this name, but it contrasts in vowel length."

The capital of the Aztec empire (now Mexico City).


Popocatzin

popōca (“to smoke”) + -tzin (“honorific”)

suffix

Popocatépetl, an active volcano in Mexico.


Ahuitzotl

The name of the ninth Aztec ruler, preceding Montezuma II.


Moteuczoma

tēuctli (“lord”) + mo-zōmā (“frown in anger”).

1607, Chimalpahin, journal

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

Don diego luis de moteuhcçoma yhuitltemoctzin . yn ipiltzin tlacatl Don Pedro de moteuhcçoma tlacahuepantzin


Caxtillan

→ Kaqchikel: kaxlan

From Spanish Castilla (“Castile”), reinterpreted as containing the locative suffix -tlān (“place”).


Tollan

17C: Chimalpahin, "History or Chronicle with Its Calendar of the Mexica Years"
ye yuh nepa matlactlōmahio xihuitl, opoliuh yn altepetl Tullam, ynic cenmanque momoyahuaque nonohualca Tullam tlaca
(it was fourteen years after the altepetl of Tollan had been destroyed; when the Nonohualca and people of Tollan scattered and dispersed)

17C: Lope de Vega (Spanish), Bartolomé de Alva (Nahuatl tr.), The Mother of the Best, f. 58r

(It's a regular Tula! All the people crush me to death)

çā yè huel Tollan; nechpatzmictia in yxquich tlacatl


Nezahualpilli

oc yuh huècāuh huāllāzquè in caxtiltēcà, in yecuēl quimomachiltiāya in Neçahualpiltzintli in īnhuāllāliz. Mucho antes que viniessen los Españoles, sabia el Rey neçahualpiltzintli su venida; à la letra; toda via despeus de largo tiempo vendran los Españoles, y ya sabia, neçahualpiltzintli su venida.
(Long before the Spaniards came, the king Neçahualpiltzintli knew of their coming; literally, still after a long time the Spaniards will come and Neçahualpiltzintli already knew of their coming.)

1645, Horacio Carochi, Arte de la lengua mexicana con la declaración de los adverbios della:

a male given name. Borne by a ruler of Texcoco, the son of Nezahualcoyotl


Amaquemehcan

→ Spanish: Amecameca

→ Teposcolula Mixtec: ñuututu (calque)

Āmaquēmeh (name of a hill, literally “one that has paper clothing”) + -cān (“place”)

Amaquemecan; Amecameca, the official name is Amecameca de Juárez.


Yancuic Mexihco

O ca yhui yn yn hualquizq̄ yn aztlan y azteca mexitin chichimeca huehuetque yn ompa axcan mitohua yancuic mexico

1609, Fernando Alvarado Tezozomoc, Crónica Mexicayotl:

Inìquāc yancuicān huīloac yancuic Mexìco, qui ye yuh nimàtlacxiuhtia

1649, Horacio Carochi, Arte de la lengua mexicana con la declaracion de los adverbios della:


yohualli

17C: Crónica mexicayotl

(And then at night, in Huitzilihuitl's sleep, the devil Yohualli spoke to him.)

auh niman yohualtica ycochizpan yn huitzillihuitl yn quinotz yohuallli yehuatl yn diablo


Guadalupe

(Christianity) (she is) Our Lady of Guadalupe.


Jesucristo

Borrowed from Spanish Jesucristo, contracted from Jesús Cristo, from Latin Iēsus Chrīstus.


Huitzilopochtli

From huītzilin (“hummingbird”) + ōpōchtli (“left, left-hand side”), literally “hummingbird's left”, or perhaps “hummingbird's south”.

compound

16C: Bernardino de Sahagún, Florentine Codex, first book
Vitzilubuchtli: çan maceoalli, çan tlacatl catca: naoalli, tetzaujtl, atlacacemelle, teixcuepaj: quijiocoianj in iaoiutl, iaotecanj, iaotlatoanj:

17C: Crónica Mexicayotl
auh yntlapial catca quitlatlauhtiaya quiteomatia yn aquin quitocayotiaya tetzahuitl huitzilopochtli.

(he is) the hummingbird's left side; the god Huitzilopochtli.


necoc yaotl

From necoc (“on both sides”) + yāōtl (“enemy”).

tetzalã, tenepantla motecaia: ipampa y, mjtoaia necoc iautl

16C: Bernardino de Sahagún, Florentine Codex, Book 1

(He brought discord among people, wherefore he was called "the enemy on both sides.")

"The enemy on both sides"; an epithet of Tezcatlipoca.


Painal

Jnic vme capitulo, ytechpa tlatoa yn teutl yn jtoca paynal

(Second Chapter, which tells of the god named Paynal)

A god, the representative of Huitzilopochtli.


Itzcoatl

a male given name, borne by the 4th ruler of Tenochtitlan


Titlacahuan

ti- "we" + i- "possessed third singular person" + tlācatl "person; slave" + -huān (possessed plural)

"We are his slaves"; an epithet of Tezcatlipoca.


Iztac tepetl

qujnpiquiz: quetzalcoatl, in chalchivitl ycue, in tlaloc: popucatepetl, iztac tepetl, poiauhtecatl: yoan in çaço quezqujtetl tepetl in qujnteneoaz in qujpiquiz.
(he would mold representations of Quetzalcoatl, Chalchiuitl ycue, Tlaloc, Popocatepetl, Iztac tepetl, Poiauhtecatl, and any other mountain of which they would choose to make representations.)

16C: Bernardino de Sahagún, "Florentine Codex", book 1


iztac tepetl

Iztac tepetl
Iztac tepetl#Classical_Nahuatl


Popocatepetl

From popōca (“to smoke”) + tepētl (“mountain”).


Tezcatlipoca

Related to tezcatl. According to some theory, literally "smoking mirror".

Jnic ey, capitulo, ytechpa tlatoa in teutl, yn jtoca tezcatlipoca

(Third Chapter, which telleth of the god named Tezcatlipoca)


Tamooc

From Huastec Tamuch "near the scorpions" according to Brinton (1886), "but this interpretation seems unlikely" according to Nicholson (1973).

tamuoc . pŭ

nican hualtequitia … tamaoc

(Those who paid tribute here [i.e., to Tetzcoco?]: … Tamaoc)

Auh yn iquac yn oyuh onmic yn moteucçoma yc ontlatocat yn Axayacatzin … auh yehuatl quinpeuh … tochpan [=] tenexticpac = tapatel = tamomox ·
(And when Moteuczoma died, Axayacatzin became ruler. … And he conquered … Tochpan, Tenexticpac, Tapatel, Tamomox.)

auh in itepehual izquicanin in axayacatzin … Tenexticpac, Tochpan, Tampatel, Quauhtlan, Tamooc ·
(Now, all the places of Axayacatzin's conquests: … Tenexticpac, Tochpan, Tampatel, Cuauhtlan, Tamooc.)

17C, Legend of the Suns, 84:50–51, 121:4–5

A place conquered during the rule of Axayacatl.


Batavia

Netherlands (a historical kingdom in Western Europe)


Xochimilco

xōchimīlli (“flower garden”) + -co (locative)


Coatlicue

From cōātl (“snake”) + īcue (“her skirt”).


Mexihco

→ Spanish: México (see there for further descendants)

Uncertain; popularly thought to derive from a compound of mētztli (“moon”) + xīctli (“navel”) + -co (locative suffix), which would yield *Mēxxīcco (literally “place on the moon’s navel”). The form Mēxihco would thus imply the degemination of [ʃː] and the dissimilation of [kk] to [ʔk], with the appearance of the glottal stop automatically triggering the shortening of the preceding [iː] to [i].

com+

Tenochtitlan (the capital of the Aztec Empire; modern Mexico City)


Tlaloc

head

Tlāloc or Tlaloc anim (plural tlālohqueh or tlalohqueh)

Tlāloc (canonical)
Tlaloc (animate canonical)
tlālohqueh (plural)
tlalohqueh (plural)

Perhaps a locative form of tlālloh (“something earthen, covered in earth”) if the first syllable is indeed long.


tlalohqueh

tlālohqueh or tlalohqueh anim (plural only)

tlālohqueh (canonical)
tlalohqueh (animate canonical)

(they are) a host of rain deities in the likeness of Tlaloc.


Cozcatlan

El Salvador (a country in Central America)


Teteoh innan

tēteoh īnnān
teteoh innan#Classical_Nahuatl


citlalicue

From citlālin (“star”) + īcue (“her skirt”).

Camino de ſantiago enel cielo. citlallicue.

1555, Alonso de Molina, Aqui comienca vn vocabulario en la lengua castellana y mexicana, f. 42r:

The "Camino de Santiago" [visible] in the sky. citlallicue.

Camino de ſanctiago enel cielo. citlallicue.

1571, Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, f. 23v. col. 2:

Idem, f. 22v. col. 1.

Citlallicue. the "Camino de Santiago" [visible] in the sky.

Citlallicue.camino de Sanctiago enel cielo.

(astronomy) the Milky Way as seen from Earth


citlallicue

From citlālli, a misrendering of citlālin (“star”), + īcue (“her skirt”).


Cuauhnahuac

Cuernavaca (the capital city of the modern state of Morelos, Mexico)


Inglatera

inglesestin inglatera tlaca tlahueliloque chicotlaneltocanime motenehua Eregesme.

the English, people of England, evil, wrong-believers called "heretics".


tonantzin

[tòˈnáːn̥t͡sìn̥]

From to- (“our”) + nāntli (“mother”) + -tzin.

(mythology) A theonym of the goddess Cihuācōātl; the mother goddess.

(Christianity) An appellation of the Virgin Mary; (she is) our Blessed Mother.


tocih

As a proper noun, compare to other possessive theonyms: tēteoh īnnān (“she is the mother of the gods”), xīpe totēc (“he is our flayed lord”).

An appellation or aspect of the mother goddess Coatlicue; (she is) our grandmother.


totec

(mythology) A theonym, usually borne by xipe totēc.


chapoltepec

Spanish: Chapultepec

From chapolin (“grasshopper”) + tepētl (“mountain, hill”) + -co.

compound

(in the place of the) grasshopper hill; (in) Chapultepec; the forest retreat of Aztec rulers.


Axayacatl

Spanish: Axayácatl

From ātl (“water”) + xāyacatl (“face, mask”).

Axayacatl, the sixth tlatoani of Mexico-Tenochtitlan and of the Aztec Triple Alliance.


xipe totec

From xīpe (“the flayed one”), a divine title derived from xīpēhua (“to peel, flay”) + totēc (“our lord”).

(he is) the god of agriculture, smithing and the seasons.


teteoh innan

From tēteoh, plural of teōtl (“divinity; god”), + īnnān (“their mother”).

1558-1585: Bernardino de Sahagún, Primeros memoriales, f. 263r.
Teteuynan inechichiuh / Motenholcupinticac / Tlaxapochtli in contlaliticac ycamapan
Attire of tēteoh īnnān. Her lips are plumped with rubber. On her cheek is a [black] circle.

(mythology) (she is) the mother of gods; an aspect of Coatlicue as a mother goddess and primordial earth goddess.


coatl icue

From cōātl (“it is a snake”) + īcue (“it is her skirt”).

(mythology) (she is) her skirt is of snake; the mother goddess Coatlicue.


Cuauhtemallan

→ Spanish: Guatemala

cuauhtēmalli (“woodpile”) + -tlān (“place”)

suffix

haçito in quauhtemalla catentocatiuj

16th century, Florentine Codex, lib. 10, cap. 29, f. 140v:

Iximche, a Kaqchikel kingdom in what is now Guatemala


Azcapotzalco

āzcapōtzalli (“anthill”) + -co (“locative suffix”)

çan yenōyuhqui ic ōquintlàpalòquè in Tlaxcaltēcatlàtòquè, in quēnin ōquitlàpalòquè in Atzcapotzalco ^([sic]) Tlàtoāni, ſaludaron à los Principales de Tlaxcala, de la meſma manera, que al Señor de Azcapuzalco.

1645, Horacio Carochi, Arte de la lengua mexicana con la declaracion de los aduerbios della (overall work in Spanish), Mexico: Iuan Ruyz, pages 120v–121r:


Citlaltepetl

From citlālin + tepētl. "Star Mountain".

An extinct volcano located between Mexico City and Veracruz.


Tequixquiac

tequixquitl (“saltpetre”) + atl (“water”) + -c (“place”).

af

Santiago Tequixquiac
Santiago Tequixquiac#English

Tequixquiac, Santiago Tequixquiac (a town, the administrative seat of Tequixquiac, State of Mexico, Mexico)

Tequixquiac (a municipality of the State of Mexico, Mexico)


Huitzilopochco

Huitzilopochtli (name of a god) + -co (locative suffix)


Tollohcan

Toluca (the capital and largest city of the modern State of Mexico, Mexico)


Cuetlaxcoapan

cuetlaxtli (“skin”) + coatl (“snake”) + pan (“on the place”)

affix

Puebla City (the capital and largest city of the modern state of Puebla, Mexico).


Acapolco

acatl (“cane”) + pol (“big”) + co (“place”)

Acapulco (the largest city in the modern state of Guerrero, Mexico)


Tzompanco

tzompantli (“skull rack”) + -c (“place”).

af

Zumpango (a city in the modern State of Mexico, Mexico)


Xalixco

xalli (“sand”) + ixtli (“face”) + co (“place”).

Xalisco, town in Nayarit. https://web.archive.org/web/20200718215743/http://www.inafed.gob.mx/work/enciclopedia/EMM18nayarit/municipios/18008a.html

Jalisco, name of Mexican state. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929234851/http://inafed.gob.mx/work/enciclopedia/EMM14jalisco/nomenclatura.html


Atlacomolco

Atlacomulco (a municipality of the State of Mexico, Mexico)

Atlacomulco de Fabela
Atlacomulco de Fabela#English

Atlacomulco de Fabela, Atlacomulco (a city, the administrative seat of Atlacomulco, State of Mexico, Mexico)


Metepec

metl (“century plant”) + tepetl (“mountain”) + co (“place”)


Atlixco

Atlixco (a city and municipality of Puebla, Mexico)


Cuauhtlahtoatzin

From cuāuhtli (“eagle”) + tla- (“thing”) + ihtoa (“to speak”) + -tzin.

compound

(honorific) a male given name, roughly “he is who speaks like an eagle”

An attributive name of Saint Juan Diego.


Dios Tetahtzin

From Dios (“God”) + tētahtzin (“one's beloved Father”).


Dios Tepiltzin

From Dios (“God”) + tēpiltzin (“one's beloved Son”).


Dios Spiritu Santo

[ˈti.jóʃ iʃˈpíːɬtoʔ ˈʃántoʔ]

From Classical Nahuatl Dios (“God”) + Spanish Spiritu Sancto (“Holy Spirit”) (modern spelling Espíritu Santo), from Latin Spīritus Sānctus.

(Christianity) (He is) God the Holy Spirit


Spiritu Santo

[iʃˈpíːɬtoʔ ˈʃántoʔ]

Borrowed from Spanish Spiritu Sancto (“Holy Spirit”) (modern spelling Espíritu Santo), from Latin Spīritūs Sānctus.


Spu Scto

Spiritu Santo
Spiritu Santo#Classical_Nahuatl


Jesu xpo

Shortenings such as xp̃o have their origin in Christian nomina sacra (cf. Spũ Sctõ).


Tochtepec

Spanish: Tuxtepec

place

Tuxtepec (the largest city in the modern state of Oaxaca, Mexico)


Huexotlah

Huejutla (the largest city in the modern state of Hidalgo, Mexico)


Tollantzinco

Tulancingo (the largest city in the modern state of Hidalgo, Mexico)


Pachyohcan

Pachuca (the largest city in the modern state of Hidalgo, Mexico)


Cuauhtlah

Cuauhtla (the largest city in the modern state of Morelos, Mexico)


Itzmiquilpan

Ixmiquilpan (the largest city in the modern state of Hidalgo, Mexico)


Tizayohcan

Tizayuca (the largest city in the modern state of Hidalgo, Mexico)


Tochtlah

Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla Gutiérrez#English

Tuxtla Gutiérrez (the largest city in the modern state of Chiapas, Mexico)


Comalcalco

Comalcalco (the largest city in the modern state of Tabasco, Mexico)


Chalchiuhcuecan

Veracruz City (the largest city in the modern state of Veracruz, Mexico)


Atemaxac

Guadalajara (the largest city in the modern state of Jalisco, Mexico)


Colhuahcan

Culiacán (the largest city in the modern state of Sinaloa, Mexico)


Mazatlan

Mazatlán (the largest city in the modern state of Sinaloa, Mexico)


Altepetl Mexihco

Mexico City (the capital and largest city of the modern Mexico).


Cholollan

Cholula (an of the modern in the state of Puebla, Mexico).


Tzapopan

Zapopan (the largest city in the modern state of Jalisco, Mexico)


Cuauhtitlan

Cuautitlán (a city and municipality of the State of Mexico, Mexico)


Ehecatepec

Santa María Ecatepec
Santa María Ecatepec


xilonen

From xīlōtl (“tender ear of maize”). The second element could correspond to nenetl (“doll, figurine”) through apocopation, or to a form of nemi (“to live”).

Octauo mes delos mexⁿᵒˢ llamado: Hueytecuhilhuitl, enq́ hazian fiesta ala Diosa llamada: xilonen, diosa delos xilotes.

1585, Bernardino de Sahagún, Kalendario mexicano, latino y castellano, f. 90r:

Eigth month of the Mexicans, called Hueytecuhilhuitl, in which they celebrated the goddess called Xilonen, goddess of unripe ears of maize.

(religion) (she is) Doll of Unripe Maize, goddess of tender, unripe maize, an appellation of Chicomecoatl.


hueyi tecuilhuitl

From huēyi (“something great, large”) + tēuctli (“lord”) + ilhuitl (“feast,day of celebration”), literally “Great Feast of Lords”.

af

(it is) the eighth of the eighteen veintenas of the xiuhpōhualli, dedicated to agricultural deities such as Xīlōnen.


tecuilhuitontli

From tēuctli (“lord”) + ilhuitl (“feast, day of celebration”) + -tōn (“something small”), literally “Minor Feast of Lords”.

suffix

Septimo mes delos Mexicanos llamado: Tecuhilhuitontli, enq́ hazian fiesta ala diosa dela sal, llamada: huixtocihuatl.

Seventh month of the Mexicans, called Tecuilhuitontli, in which they celebrated the goddess of salt, called Huixtocihuatl.

(it is) the seventh of the eighteen veintenas of the xiuhpōhualli, dedicated to the Huīxtohcihuātl, goddess of salt and salt water.


huixtohcihuatl

From huīxtohtli (“Olmec”) + cihuātl (“woman”).

af

(mythology) (she is) the Olmec Woman, goddess of salt, saters and salt merchants.


cinteotl

From cintli (“maize”) + teōtl (“deity, god”).

Quarto mes delos Mexicanos llamado: Hueytoçoztli, enque hazian fiesta al dios llamado cinteotl, Dios delos maizes.

1585, Bernardino de Sahagún, Kalendario mexicano, latino y castellano, f. 89r:

Fourth month of the Mexicans, called hueytoçoztli, in which they celebrated the god called Cinteotl, god of maize plants.