Aztec Language Zone
American world history textbooks tend to give the impression that the Aztec civilization was "wiped out" once the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Mexico. Yes, it's true that the Aztec empire was destroyed by the Spanish, but did the people survive? Most definitely, and so did the Aztec language, Nahuatl. The true founders of Mexico never disappeared, and today the language of Nahuatl is spoken by 1.5 million people in Mexico City and Central Mexico. In fact, the name "Mexico" comes from the word "Mexica", the name the Aztecs use to call themselves. The Aztec people have a rich and complex culture. Their empire flourished between the 13th and 16th centuries. They ruled Central Mexico from their capital city of Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco, the present-day site of Mexico City. The Aztecs were experts in the fields of mathematics, architecture, geometry, and astronomy, and practiced a deeply-rooted religion that focused on the god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, and mythology is a most intriguing part of their culture. Nahuatl belongs to the Uto-Aztecan language family, which includes native languages like Paiute and Shoshone in the Western U.S., Hopi and Comanche in the Southwestern U.S., and Tarahumara, Tepehuan, and Huichol in Northern Mexico. And thanks to the Aztecs, foods like chocolate, tortillas, avocados, tomatoes, corn, and chilies were introduced to the world, foods that I certainly couldn't live without. So put on your ceremonial jaguar outfit, sharpen your obsidian blade, and let's tackle one of the true languages of Mexico.
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