Get to Know the Nahuatl language and the Nahua people

 

Spoken by the Aztec, Mexica, and Tlaxcaltec peoples of Central Mexico, the Nahuatl language had become a prestige language by the time of the Spanish Conquest (1519 - 1521).

Today, around 1.7 million Nahua people speak varieties of the language, mostly in central Mexico, in states such as Puebla.

 

Why learn the Nahuatl language?

Mural in Mexico of old couple kissing on the cheek and wearing indigenous hats

Speakers :

1.7 million

Where :

Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, United States, Canada

Dialects :

Western Peripheral Nahuatl, Eastern Peripheral Nahuatl, Huasteca Nahuatl, Central Nahuatl

Map of Mexico showing where the different dialects of the Nahuatl language are spoken
 

Cover Image

Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico

Photo by Roberto Carlos Roman Don on Unsplash

Map

By Noahedits - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=84644681

Resources for learning the Nahuatl language

  • All of the resources mentioned on the website and in the How to Learn Languages guides are resources I believe in. They're resources I've either found useful learning languages, or have researched for the How to Learn Languages website and guides. The overwhelming majority of these resources are not affiliate links.

    I only agree to affiliate links for resources I genuinely believe in. By having affiliate links for resources I believe in, I hope this can reduce the cost of paid resources for you, whilst also helping me to continue working on books, videos, documentaries, and How to Learn Languages.

    If you buy certain books linked in How to Learn Languages guides, on my websites, or social media channels, I’ll earn a commission - at no extra cost to you - from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops. Any books that aren’t available from Bookshop.org have been linked to their relevant page on Goodreads.

    This italki link is also an affiliate link. If you pay for your first lesson on italki using this link, you’ll receive $10 italki credits, and I’ll earn a commission - at no extra cost to you.

    Although the series aims to show anyone how to learn languages for free, it’s true that paid resources often help save time - both in terms of preparation and organisation. By having affiliate links for resources I believe in, I hope this can reduce the cost of paid resources for you, whilst also helping to make the development of more How to Learn Languages guides possible.

    Regardless of whether you use the affiliate links, thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it.

Feeling stuck or overwhelmed with a language?

Start here 🪴

Watch this free video to understand the essentials of learning any language.

Plus my free newsletter: the languages I’m learning and how, film recommendations, and exclusive discounts on my guides and courses.

Unsubscribe any time.

Contact

Do you make videos or resources for learning a specific language? Feel free to get in touch so I can add links to your work on the relevant Get to Know page for that language, or in the relevant Resources guide.

As well as helping people to learn languages, encouraging linguistic diversity, and raising awareness for the rights of indigenous peoples, I hope How to Learn Languages will also help to grow the audiences of anyone creating resources for learning languages.