Nahuatl is an Indigenous American language or group of languages belonging to the Uto-Aztecan language family. It is primarily spoken by about 1.7 million Nahua people, mostly in central Mexico, with smaller communities in the United States
. Nahuatl has a long history, having been spoken in central Mexico since at least the 7th century CE. It was the language of the Mexica (Aztec) civilization, which dominated central Mexico during the Late Postclassic period of Mesoamerican history
. The language was prestigious in Mesoamerica before the Spanish conquest and became a literary language after the Spanish introduced the Latin alphabet. Many important documents, poems, and codices were written in Classical Nahuatl, the variety based on the Tenochtitlan dialect
. Today, Nahuatl exists in numerous dialects, some of which are not mutually intelligible. It is recognized as a national language in Mexico alongside Spanish in the regions where it is spoken
. Nahuatl is known for its complex morphology, including polysynthesis and agglutination, and has contributed many words to Spanish and English, such as "avocado," "chili," "chocolate," "coyote," and "tomato"
. The language continues to be spoken by millions, maintaining cultural and historical significance in Mexico and beyond. In summary, Nahuatl is a historically significant Indigenous language of Mexico, once the language of the Aztec Empire, still spoken today with a rich linguistic and cultural heritage
