The name of this vibrant nation comes from Nahuatl, the most widely spread indigenous language in the country with over 1.7 million native speakers at present.
Nahuatl was the mother tongue of the Aztec Empire and the lingua franca of its time—just as important as Greek, Latin and French once were. Just as important as English is in modern times.
Interestingly, Nahuatl was not just a means to produce communication and poetry. Nahuatl was poetry itself—charged with ever-present metaphors and philosophy.
Some suggest that the name Mexico—meaning the place in the bellybutton of the moon—was the Aztec way of declaring themselves the center of the universe. However, we can discern a deeper metaphor here: a nation nurtured by the moon itself, which they revered as the goddess of fertility.
You might be surprised to learn that every time you say tomato, chocolate, or axolotl you are connecting with this profound, beautiful language whose legacy echoes worldwide.
No Shit Trips
Leave a Reply