An Analysis Of Nanautl Nanuatl Language
The Nanuatl Language
By Grace L. The Aztecs were an extraordinarily developed people who spoke Nanautl. Nanautl was a language very much like Spanish. Today in Mexico and America, many of their words live on in adapted forms. For example, the English word tomato was tomatl in Nanautl. This language was straightforward and very basic to understand, because unlike English, the fundamentals set for words were followed easily. The Aztecs, an ancient civilization, learned to speak at a very young age. The clear content of the language is explained below.
There were 4 basic vowels: i, e, a, and o
The most common consonants were: p, t, l, r, n, k, m, ch, x, c, s, z, cu (or qu), y, hu, and p
You can see just how transparent it is to understand
the Nanautl language!
The Aztecs also used something known as ideograms (not an actual Nanautl word.). Ideograms represent the idea behind the symbol. For example, footprints could represent travel or the passage of time in a certain direction.
Phonograms were pictures that represent the sounds that are heard or imagined. Colors were very important in phonograms. As you can see, the Aztecs weren’t one for a very complex language, because they already had a very complex lifestyle. Now we’re back to discussing the similarities between Nanauatl, Spanish, and English languages. Here are some of the similarities. Similarities between Nanauatl, English, and Spanish:
Animals:
Nanautl
English/Spanish
Coyote
Coyote
Ocelote
Ocelot
Plants:
Nanautl
English/Spanish
Tomatl
Tomato
Xalapeno
Jalapeno
Zapote
Sapodilla
Food and drinks:
Nanauatl
English/Spanish
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chipotle
Chipotle
Tamal
Tamale
Places:
Nanauatl
English/Spanish
Guatemala
Guatemala
Tabasco
Tabasco
Mexico
Mexico
It is really interesting to recognize how much of these words have hung around since the Ancient Aztecs! Nanautl, an ancient language, is very beautiful!
Bibliography
“List of Spanish Words of Nahuatl Origin”. Wikipedia. May 2007. Web, 28 Nov. 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_words_of_Nahuatl_origin
“Aztec Alphabet”. Aztec-History.com. 2006-2013. 29 Nov. 2013. http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-alphabet.html
Chrisp, Peter. The Aztecs. Austin, Texas. Steck Vaughn, 2000. Print.
By Grace L. The Aztecs were an extraordinarily developed people who spoke Nanautl. Nanautl was a language very much like Spanish. Today in Mexico and America, many of their words live on in adapted forms. For example, the English word tomato was tomatl in Nanautl. This language was straightforward and very basic to understand, because unlike English, the fundamentals set for words were followed easily. The Aztecs, an ancient civilization, learned to speak at a very young age. The clear content of the language is explained below.
There were 4 basic vowels: i, e, a, and o
The most common consonants were: p, t, l, r, n, k, m, ch, x, c, s, z, cu (or qu), y, hu, and p
You can see just how transparent it is to understand
the Nanautl language!
The Aztecs also used something known as ideograms (not an actual Nanautl word.). Ideograms represent the idea behind the symbol. For example, footprints could represent travel or the passage of time in a certain direction.
Phonograms were pictures that represent the sounds that are heard or imagined. Colors were very important in phonograms. As you can see, the Aztecs weren’t one for a very complex language, because they already had a very complex lifestyle. Now we’re back to discussing the similarities between Nanauatl, Spanish, and English languages. Here are some of the similarities. Similarities between Nanauatl, English, and Spanish:
Animals:
Nanautl
English/Spanish
Coyote
Coyote
Ocelote
Ocelot
Plants:
Nanautl
English/Spanish
Tomatl
Tomato
Xalapeno
Jalapeno
Zapote
Sapodilla
Food and drinks:
Nanauatl
English/Spanish
Chocolate
Chocolate
Chipotle
Chipotle
Tamal
Tamale
Places:
Nanauatl
English/Spanish
Guatemala
Guatemala
Tabasco
Tabasco
Mexico
Mexico
It is really interesting to recognize how much of these words have hung around since the Ancient Aztecs! Nanautl, an ancient language, is very beautiful!
Bibliography
“List of Spanish Words of Nahuatl Origin”. Wikipedia. May 2007. Web, 28 Nov. 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_words_of_Nahuatl_origin
“Aztec Alphabet”. Aztec-History.com. 2006-2013. 29 Nov. 2013. http://www.aztec-history.com/aztec-alphabet.html
Chrisp, Peter. The Aztecs. Austin, Texas. Steck Vaughn, 2000. Print.