Nahuatl language

Nahuatl (pronounced in two syllables, NA-watl ) is a term applied to some members of the Aztecan or Nahuan sub-branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family. The languages called "Nahuatl" are all Native American languages indigenous to central Mexico.

Related Topics:
Uto-Aztecan - Native American languages - Mexico

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Often the term "Nahuatl" is used specifically with reference to the language called Classical Nahuatl, which was the language of the Aztec empire and therefore used as a lingua franca in much of Mesoamerica during the 7th century AD through to the late 16th century, at which time its prominence and influence was interrupted by the Spanish conquest of the New World.

Related Topics:
Classical Nahuatl - Lingua franca - Mesoamerica - 7th century - 16th century - Spanish conquest

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However, it also serves to identify a number of modern Nahuatl dialects (linguistic variants, some of them mutually unintelligible) that are still spoken by at least 1.5 million people in what is now Mexico. All of these dialects show influence from the Spanish language to various degrees, some of them much more than others. No modern dialects are identical with Classical Nahuatl, but those spoken in and around the Valley of Mexico are generally more closely related to Classical Nahuatl than peripheral ones.

Related Topics:
Nahuatl dialects - Mexico - Spanish language

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