Teocintle
/ˌte.oˈsin.tle/noun
A wild Mexican grass of the genus Zea, considered the ancestor of cultivated maize.
Did you know?The word comes from Nahuatl, where *teotl* means “god, sacred” and *centli/cintli* refers to maize, so the plant’s name literally frames it as sacred food.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
Nahuatl
teōcintli
“sacred maize; teosinte, the wild grass related to corn”
16th Century
Spanish
teocintle / teocinte
“Spanish rendering of the Nahuatl plant name”
19th Century
English
teosinte
“botanical term for the wild grass related to maize”
Modern English
English
teocintle
“a variant spelling used for the wild maize ancestor”
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