Although the term náhuatl is often associated with Mexican Spanish, it is very influential in Nicaragua as well. Náhuatl is not one language, but a collection of dialects and languages of the Nahua people. These people migrated from Mexico as far south as Nicaragua, and their influence is still seen in Nicaragua today in the vocabulary and speech. Even the word Nicaragua comes from the náhuatl words “nican ca Anahuac” which roughly translates to “here is Anahuac,” Anahuac referring to an Aztec empire. Some translations say it translates to “here, the end of line,” which also is referring to the Aztec borders.
Here are some náhuatl words that are still in use in Nicaragua:
1. Atol – drinks or food made from corn
2. Caite – small ball or marble
3. Chingaste – seed, residue left over from a drink (such as tea) note: Careful, this word also means “you fucked” in Mexican Spanish!
4. Huipil – type of shirt
5. Nana – wet nurse
6. Padrezacate / tata – herb, grass
7. Apachar – crush
8. Chimar – Shave, scrape
9. Chicahualiztli– strength (physical)
Náhuatl also influenced Nicaraguan pronunciation. This influence caused Nicaraguans to often use several syllables that run together into what seems to be a very long word. Nicaraguans also vary their timbre on certain vowels and relax their consonants more than other Spanish speakers. Their ‘z’ and ‘c’ sounds are often pronounced more like a ‘s’ as well. So, although this language is far from an “official” language in Nicaragua, it still has a great presence within the country.
Check out these other Nicaragua Spanish Slang Word articles.
Featured photo credit: Paisaje Nica by Libertinus via flickr