Mesoamerican
/ˌmɛsoʊəˈmɛrɪkən/noun
Relating to the region and cultures of central and southern Mexico and parts of Central America before European colonization.
Did you know?Mesoamerican is a modern scholarly term built from Greek roots, but it now names some of the most spiritually charged civilizations in history, from the Maya to the Aztec, whose calendars, rituals, and cosmologies were tied to sacred time.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mesos
“middle, in the middle”
Modern scientific coinage
Greek/English
Meso-
“combining form meaning 'middle' or 'intermediate'”
16th-19th Century
Spanish/English
América
“the Americas, named after Amerigo Vespucci”
20th Century
English
Mesoamerican
“relating to the cultural-historical region between central Mexico and northern Central America”
Modern English
English
Mesoamerican
“pertaining to the pre-Columbian civilizations of that region”
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