Ahuaca

/ɑˈwɑ.kə/ noun

Definition

A type of avocado fruit or avocado tree, particularly in Nahuatl and Spanish-influenced Mesoamerican languages.

Etymology

From Nahuatl 'ahuacatl,' the original name for the avocado fruit. When Spanish conquistadors encountered the plant, they adopted the word, and it eventually became 'aguacate' in Spanish and 'avocado' in English.

Kelly Says

The word 'avocado' itself is a European butchering of the Nahuatl 'ahuacatl'—it's a great example of how Aztec words got adopted and transformed as Spanish and English speakers struggled to pronounce Indigenous plant names.

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