Macehual
/maˈsew.al/noun
In Nahuatl and historical Mesoamerican usage, a commoner or ordinary person, especially in contrast to nobility.
Did you know?Macehual comes from Nahuatl and is tied to the idea of being “deserved” or “earned,” reflecting a social world where status was not just inherited but cosmically ordered.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
Nah
mācehualli
“commoner; one who has earned or deserved something”
Classical Nahuatl
Nah
mācehua
“to deserve, earn, merit”
Classical Nahuatl
Nah
māitl
“hand”
Modern English
English
macehual
“a borrowed historical term for an indigenous commoner in Nahuatl-speaking societies”
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