Calmecac
/kalˈme.kak/noun
A school in pre-Hispanic central Mexico where the sons of nobles were educated, especially for priesthood, government, and military leadership.
Did you know?Calmecac students studied calendrical knowledge, ritual speech, history, and priestly practices, while the institution also prepared future rulers and military leaders.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Uto-Aztecan
PUA
*kali
“House or dwelling; a reconstructed ancestor of Nahuatl calli.”
Proto-Uto-Aztecan
PUA
*mekat-
“Cord, rope, or line; the reconstructed source of Nahuatl mecatl.”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
calli + mecatl
“House + cord or line, forming the compound associated with a lineage or institutional house.”
15th–16th Century
Nahuatl
calmécac
“An elite educational institution for the sons of nobles, priests, and future officials.”
16th Century
Spanish
calmécac
“A school or house of instruction described in early colonial accounts of Mexica society.”
Modern English
English
calmecac
“A historical term for the elite schools of pre-Hispanic central Mexico.”