ahuacatl

Central Nahuatl

Alternative forms

(Cholula): ahuacatli
(Texcoco): ahuakatl
(Tlaxcala): auakatl

Etymology

From Classical Nahuatl ahuacatl.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aːwakatɬ/

Noun

ahuacatl (inanimate)

(Milpa Alta) avocado
(Milpa Alta) testicle

Derived terms

References

Héctor Mancilla Sepúlveda (2002); Lecciones de Náhuatl, Editorial Hirata; Mexico City, Mexico.
Aguilar Carrera, Sergio (2012); Método práctico de lengua náhuatl del Altiplano Mexicano; Amecameca variant, Dirección de Casa de Cultura de Tecámac, State of Mexico, Mexico. ISBN 03-2012-030812540200-01.

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

auacatl (obsolete spelling)

Etymology

From Proto-Nahuan *hewaka-tlɨ (“avocado”), itself from pre-Nahuan *pèwá-ka-tɨ, possibly analyzable as a root *pèwa- 'peel, skin, bark' plus a nominalizing suffix *-ka-, i.e. literally "peel-thing", perhaps in reference to the avocado's thick skin.^[1] Compare Huaxcaleca Nahuatl pawatl "coyo" (Persea schiedeana), also found across other Eastern Nahuan varieties.^[2]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /aːwakat͡ɬ/, [aː.ˈwá.kat͡ɬ]^[3]

Noun

āhuacatl (inanimate)

avocado (Persea americana)
(colloquial) testicle

Derived terms

Descendants

Central Huasteca Nahuatl: auakatl
Central Nahuatl: ahuacatli
Eastern Durango Nahuatl: awakat
Highland Puebla Nahuatl: awakat
Michoacán Nahuatl: ahuacal
Orizaba Nahuatl: awakatl
Pipil: ahuacat, awakat
Temascaltepec Nahuatl: auakatl
→ Spanish: aguacate
- → Asturian: aguacate
- → Basque: ahuakate
- → Galician: aguacate
- → Portuguese: abacate (see there for further descendants)
- ⇒ Spanish: avocado (see there for further descendants)
- → Yaqui: awakáate

References

^ Pharao Hansen, Magnus (2021), “Avocado og testikelsovs: et internet-meme og en aztekisk etymologi”, in Mål og Mæle, volume 3, pages 9–12: “11-12”
^ Pharao Hansen, Magnus (2024), “Sapir's Law and the Role of Accent in the Reconstruction of Proto-Corachol-Nahuan”, in International Journal of American Linguistics, volume 90, number 2, →DOI, pages 227–267: “257”
^ Frances Karttunen (1992), An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl, University of Oklahoma Press, page 7

Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl

Noun

ahuacatl

obsolete spelling of awakatl

References

Sullivan, John; Olko, Justyna (2016); Tlahtolxitlauhcayotl, Chicontepec, Veracruz, Editorial Artes Liberales, Revitalizing Endangered Languages, IDIEZ, University of Warsow, Poland.

[1] Pharao Hansen, Magnus (2021), “Avocado og testikelsovs: et internet-meme og en aztekisk etymologi”, in Mål og Mæle, volume 3, pages 9–12: “11-12”

[2] Pharao Hansen, Magnus (2024), “Sapir's Law and the Role of Accent in the Reconstruction of Proto-Corachol-Nahuan”, in International Journal of American Linguistics, volume 90, number 2, →DOI, pages 227–267: “257”

[3] Frances Karttunen (1992), An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl, University of Oklahoma Press, page 7

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