Nahuatl

Nahuatl is a language or group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by an estimated 1.5 million Nahua people, most of whom live in central Mexico. All Nahuatl languages are indigenous to Mesoamerica.

Nahuatl has been spoken in central Mexico since at least the seventh century CE. It was the language of the powerful Aztecs, who dominated central Mexico in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

History

Nahuatl became the major language of the area during the seventh century CE. It was later adopted as the administrative language by the Aztecs, who also used it in their religious rituals and literature.

Modern Nahuatl

In the present day, Nahuatl is spoken in scattered communities, mostly in rural areas. In recent years, there has been an effort to revitalize the language, and it is taught in some primary schools in Mexico.

Phonology

Nahuatl has a complex phonology, with a distinction between plain and glottalized consonants, and a large number of vowel contrasts.

Grammar

Nahuatl grammar is agglutinative, using many affixes and in some cases infixes to denote grammatical relationships. Nouns are not marked for gender, but they are marked for number and case.

Vocabulary

The Nahuatl vocabulary is rich in words related to the natural environment, agriculture, social organization, religion, and art.

Writing system

The Aztecs did not have a fully developed writing system, but they did use a form of pictographic script, which was used to record dates, events, and names of people.

See also

• Aztec
• Uto-Aztecan languages
• Mesoamerica
• Nahuatl literature
• Nahuatl phonology
• Nahuatl grammar
• Nahuatl vocabulary

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Nahuatl

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  Historia general de las cosas de nueva España page 406

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  Nahuatl per Kaufman (2001)

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  The Florentine Codex: Life in Mesoamerica IV

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  Nahuatl map labeled

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  Tomatillo

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  Aztec writing

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