A member of the indigenous Nahuatl-speaking people who built a powerful empire in central Mexico before Spanish conquest in the 1500s; or relating to their civilization.
From Nahuatl 'Aztecah' meaning 'people from Aztlan.' The Aztecs called themselves 'Mexica,' but Spanish conquistadors and European historians adopted 'Aztec' from the mythological place of origin, Aztlan.
The Aztecs never called themselves that—'Aztec' comes from Aztlan, their legendary homeland. We use the name Columbus-era Europeans gave them, not what they actually called themselves! It's a reminder that history is often named by the conquerors.
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