Mexica
/meˈʃika/noun
The Nahua people of Tenochtitlan, commonly known as the Aztecs.
Did you know?Mexica is the self-name of the people who founded Tenochtitlan, and the later word Mexico ultimately comes from the same Nahuatl source, not from “Aztec.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Mēxihcah
“The Mexica people; the inhabitants of Mexihco/Tenochtitlan”
Pre-Columbian Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Mēxihco
“The place of the Mexica; the central city-state and its surrounding domain”
16th Century
Spanish
México
“Spanish adaptation of the Nahuatl place name”
19th Century
English
Mexico
“The country in North America”
Modern English
English
Mexica
“The Nahua people of Tenochtitlan, especially in historical contexts”