Xocolatl
/ʃokoˈlat͡ɬ/noun
A Nahuatl word for a cacao-based drink, often glossed as “bitter water.”
Did you know?In Aztec-era Mesoamerica, cacao drinks were elite, ceremonial, and often spiced or frothed, so the word behind “chocolate” began life in a world of status, ritual, and sacred consumption.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Nahuatl
Nah
xocolatl
“a cacao drink; literally “bitter water””
16th Century
Spanish
chocolate
“cacao beverage, then the cacao product itself”
17th Century
English
chocolate
“a drink or confection made from cacao”
Modern English
English
chocolate
“a sweet food or flavor made from cacao”
Explore more surprising origins