Cihuacoatl
/siwaːˈkoːaːtɬ/noun
A Nahuatl term meaning “Snake Woman,” used for an Aztec goddess and a powerful state official.
Did you know?Cihuacoatl was both a fearsome mother goddess and the title of the second-highest official in the Aztec state, whose role included governing Tenochtitlan when the ruler was absent.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
cihuātl
“Woman; female person”
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
cōātl
“Snake or serpent”
15th–16th Century
Classical Nahuatl
Cihuācōātl
“Snake Woman; a goddess associated with motherhood, childbirth, warfare, and death”
16th Century
Spanish
Cihuacoatl
“Name recorded by Spanish chroniclers for the deity and the Aztec office”
Modern English
English
Cihuacoatl
“A proper noun referring to the Nahuatl goddess, title, or concept”
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