Miquiztli
/miˈkistɬi/noun
A Nahuatl noun meaning death.
Did you know?Miquiztli is also the name of the Aztec calendar day sign associated with death, showing how a single word could function as both everyday language and sacred timekeeping.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Uto-Aztecan
PUA
*miʔki
“to die”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
miquiztli
“death”
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Miquiztli
“the day sign or calendar glyph for death”
Modern English
English
miquiztli
“a borrowed scholarly term referring to the Nahuatl word or day sign”
Explore more surprising origins