Nahuatl - Aztec Language

The Aztecs were a civilization steeped in mythology and ritual. They resided in Central Mexico in the 14th through the 16th centuries AD. Their ancient capital, Tenoctitlan, is now known as modern day Mexico City. The Aztec language, Nahuatl, still continues to be loosely spoken today in some regions of Mexico by approximately 1.5 million people, despite the infiltration of the Spanish culture in the 16th century. The Aztecs used their language to produce an impressive body of Nahuatl literature, including poetry, which continues to be revered today.

Nahuatl was the common tongue of the region of Mesoamerica that contained the Aztecs and earlier cultures from the 7th century AD until the Spanish Conquistadors arrived on American soil in the 16th century AD. Though Nahuatl is known as the Aztec language, it was not spoken only by this fabled civilization. Earlier tribes that flourished before the Aztecs in the region including the Colhua, Tecpanec, Acolhua, and the infamous Toltecs spoke the language in some form, no doubt influencing future dialects that continue to be spoken in the region today.

Today, the Aztec language as they would have known it, or "Classical Nahuatl", no longer exists in its truest form. However, there are several Nahuatl variations that continue to be spoken in Mexico by over 1 million people. These forms of Nahuatl exhibit a strong taste of Spanish influence, and many of the dialects are not interchangeable with one another, meaning that one variation cannot communicate effectively with the other, due to the differences in dialects. Nahuatl holds the distinction of being the most widely spoken native language in Mexico. Most speakers of the Aztec language are bilingual, having knowledge of the Spanish language as well, no doubt in order to be a productive member of Mexican society.

Nahuatl is a member of the family of agglutinative languages, in which different prefixes and suffixes are added to a root that results in the formation of some very long words. Many of these long word formations can be found in the volumes of Nahuatl literature that is in existence. The written Aztec language was a series of pictographs and ideograms (symbols that represent words) that were often displayed in the form of carved reliefs that are still in existence today. The Aztecs used this written language mainly for record keeping (genealogies, astronomical forecasts, etc.). This was not adequate for a full written vocabulary of written language, however. When the Spanish landed on New World soil at the end of the 16th century, they introduced the written Roman characters, thus beginning the marriage of the Aztec language with the Spanish. Many of the works of Aztec literature and poetry were then recorded in the new alphabet, though a great deal of Aztec literature was lost when thousands of works were set ablaze by the Spanish.

The Aztec language of Nahuatl has been a great resource to the English language. There are many familiar words that come to us through the language of Nahuatl, words that stem from animals, foods and ideas that are native to the Mesoamerican region. Some of these familiar terms include: chocolate (from xoco(l)atl), tomoato (from (xi)tomatl), coyote (coyotl), avocado (ahuacatl), mesquite (mizquitl), Mexico (mexihco), and many, many others.

The history of the Aztecs has not only proven to be a great source of legend and inspiration through the subsequent generations, but its language has proven to stand the test of time. Though the Nahuatl languages have gone through major evolutions, including the Western influence of the Spanish culture, nuances of the languages and the Aztec and other Mesoamerican cultures remain today in the same regions in which the languages and civilizations were born. Many in the region still refer to themselves as Aztecs, and cherish the legend and history that those influential cultures of the Americas have brought to the modern world. The influence of the Aztec language and culture is alive today, especially in the United States, where many of the food products native to Mexico are staples. The Aztec language represents the historical evolution of a civilization that has had to adapt to modern demands.