Nahuatl:Loanwords
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Nahuatl |
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| Uto-Aztecan | Aztecan |  Mexico |
Latin | |
General Rules
Although Nahuatl can make up its own new words with combination of existing ones and doesn't have many loanwords, it has established some rules to follow.
When a foreign word has a sound lacking in Nahuatl, it is pronounced using the closest sound to it, and therefore written using the letter(s) for that sound.
| Foreign sound | Sound substitute | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| /b/ | /p/ /β/ | p, b |
| /β/ | /β/ /w,ʍ/ | b, hu,uh |
| /c/ | /j/ | y |
| /ç/ | /ʃ/ | x |
| /d/ | /t/ | t |
| /ð/ | /l/ /ɾ/ | l, r |
| /d͡z/ | /t͡s/ | tz |
| /d͡ʒ/ | /t͡ʃ/ | ch |
| /f/ | /ɸ/ /p/ | f, p |
| /ɸ/ | /ɸ/ /w,ʍ/ | f, hu,uh |
| /g/ | /k/ | c,qu |
| /gw/ | /w/ /kw/ | hu, cu,uc |
| /ɣ/ | /ʔ/ | h |
| /ɣw/ | /w/ | hu |
| /ks/ | /t͡s/ | tz |
| /l/ | /t͡ɬ/ | tl |
| /ʎ/ | /j/ | y |
| /ɲ/ | /j/ /hn/ | y, hn |
| /ɾ/ | /ɾ/ /l/ /ʔ/ | r, l, h |
| /r/ | /ɾ/ /l/ /t/ | r, l, t |
| /s/ | /ʃ/ | x |
| /θ/ | /ʃ/ /s/ | x, c,z |
| /u/ | /ʊ/ | ō |
| /v/ | /w/ /ɸ/ | hu, f |
| /ʋ/ | /w/ /β/ | hu, b |
| /w,ʍ/ | /β/ /ɸ/ | b, f |
| /x/ | /ʃ/ /kw/ | x, cu,uc |
| /y/ | /ı/ | i |
| /z/ | /s/ | c,z |
| /ʒ/ | /ʃ/ | x |
These are the great basic substitutions, but several systematical changes are also done.
- Every stressed vowel, is replaced with the long corresponding vowel.
- Non-stressed vowels, are replaced with the short corresponding vowel.
- Vowels followed by a nasal, can be interpreted as long.
- Initial /l/ must change to /t͡ɬ/.
- Final nasals /n/ and /m/ must be eliminated.
- Initial front vowels followed by nasals /n/ and /m/ must be eliminated (with n).
- All silent letters are eliminated. Spanish h, English final e
- Introduction of short vowels (the same as the following one), to make pronounceable a combination of consonants that are not allowed.
- Introduction of /w/ and /j/ in dipthongs, to make pronounceable a combination of vowels that are not allowed.
- Words ending with non-stressed vowels, must add a final silent /h/.
- Words ending with stressed vowels, must add a final silent /n/.
- When followed by back or central vowels /β/ and /ɸ/ change to /w/; when followed by occlusives /t/, /k/, or nasal /n/ change to /p/; and remain /β/ and /ɸ/ when followed by front vowels.
- When followed by back or central vowels /ɾ/ and /r/ change to /l/; when followed by occlusives /p/, /t/, or nasal /n/ change to /ʔ/ ; and when followed by front vowels to /ɾ/.
- Loan verbs use the infinitive form and add final oa for transitives and final hui for intransitives.
- No matter where the accent of the original word is, it stresses in the penultimate syllable, as all Nahuatl words.
Examples
Here are some examples of loanwords in Nahuatl, mostly borrowed from Spanish.
| Foreign word | Changes | Nahuatl word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| café | ca + f (precedes front vowel, stays the same) + é > ē + n after stressed vowel | cafēn | coffee |
| habas | eliminate silent h + á > ā + b (preceding central vowel) > hu + a + s > x | āhuax | broad bean |
| higos | eliminate silent h + í > ī + g > c + o + s > x | īcox | fig |
| ángel | á > ā + n + s > x + el | ānxel | angel |
| momia | m + ó > ō + m + iya | mōmiya | mummy |
| extraterrestre | e + x > tz + tr > tl + ate + rr > r + é > ē + s > x + tr > tl + e > i | etztlaterēxtli | extraterrestrial |
| caballo | ca + b (preceding central vowel) > hu + á > ā + ll > y + o + h after non-stressed vowel | cahuāyoh | horse |
| vacas | v (preceding central vowel) > hu + á > ā + c + a + s > x | huācax | cow |
| señora | s > x + ẽ > ē + ñ > hn + ó > ō + r > l + a + h after non-stressed vowel + honorific tzin | xēhnōlahtzin | Mistress |
| interrogatorio | eliminate initial in + te + rr > l + o + g > c + a + t + ó > ō + r + iyo + h after non-stressed vowel | telocatōriyoh | questionnaire |
*Note that some words are plural in their original form, but change to singular in Nahuatl form. habas > āhuax
