Michoacán
/mitʃoaˈkan/noun
Michoacán is a state in western Mexico, and its name is also used for the region and its people.
Did you know?The name is Nahuatl even though Michoacán was historically associated with the Purépecha people, whose own language and name for the region were different.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Uto-Aztecan
PUA
*mič-
“Reconstructed root associated with fish”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
michin
“Fish”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
michhuacān
“Place of those who possess fish; a place associated with fishers or fish”
16th Century
Spanish
Mechuacan / Michoacán
“Spanish adaptations of the Nahuatl regional name”
Modern English
English
Michoacán
“The Mexican state and region named Michoacán”