Mexicali
/ˌmɛksɪˈkæli/noun
A city in northwestern Mexico, on the U.S. border in Baja California.
Did you know?Mexicali is a 20th-century portmanteau of Mexico and California, coined for the railway-era border city rather than inherited from an older indigenous or colonial name.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
Spanish
México
“Mexico, the country name used as the first element of the blend.”
19th Century
English
California
“California, the regional name used as the second element of the blend.”
Early 20th Century
Spanish/English
Mexicali
“A newly coined hybrid place-name for the settlement on the border near Calexico.”
Modern English
English
Mexicali
“The established name of the city in Baja California, Mexico.”