This article will address the topic of Proto-Nahuan language, which is of great relevance and topicality in the _var2 field. Its impact on society will be analyzed, as well as its implications on _var3. In addition, different perspectives and approaches related to Proto-Nahuan language will be considered, with the aim of providing a comprehensive and complete vision on this topic. By reviewing updated and contrasted information, the aim is to offer the reader a clear and objective vision of Proto-Nahuan language, as well as the possible consequences that its development may generate in the future.
| Proto-Nahuan | |
|---|---|
| Proto-Aztecan | |
| Reconstruction of | Nahuan languages |
Reconstructed ancestor | |
Proto-Nahuan (also called Proto-Aztecan) is a hypothetical daughter language of the Proto-Uto-Aztecan language. It is the common ancestor from which the modern Nahuan languages have developed.
There is some controversy about where and when Proto-Nahuan was spoken. Following Nahuan ethnohistorical sources describing a southward migration of Nahuatl speakers, as well as the fact that all other Uto-Aztecan languages are north of the Nahuan languages, the homeland has traditionally been considered to be located to the north of the current area of extension.
An alternative hypothesis by Jane Hill is that Proto-Nahuatl arose within Mesoamerica, and the Nahuas are the only remainders after a large-scale northward migration.
The following phonological changes are shared by all Nahuan languages:
Proto-Nahuan was an agglutinative language, and its words used suffix complexes for a variety of purposes, with several morphemes strung together.
Some Proto-Aztecan (i.e., Proto-Nahuan) reconstructions by Davletshin (2012):[7]
| gloss | Proto-Aztecan |
|---|---|
| all (todos) | *mochɨ-m |
| ashes | *nɨx-tlɨ |
| bark | *ɨwaː-yoː-tl |
| belly | *-ɨhtɨ |
| big | *wehey(ɨ) |
| bird | *toːtoː-tl |
| bite | *-kɨh-tzoma |
| black | *tliːl-tɨ-k |
| blood | *ɨs-tlɨ |
| bone | *oːmɨ-tl |
| breast | *-chiːchiːwal |
| burn tr. | *-tla-tɨ-ha |
| claw (nail) | *-ɨstɨ |
| cloud | *mix-tlɨ |
| cold | *sese-k |
| come | *wiːtz (preterit-as-present form) |
| die | *mɨki |
| drink | *-ihi |
| dry | *waːk |
| ear | *nakas-tlɨ |
| earth | *tlaːl-lɨ |
| eat | *-kwa-haː |
| eye | *-iːx |
| feather | *-ɨ?wɨ |
| fire | *tlahi-tl |
| fish | *mɨ-chɨ-m |
| fly | *patlaːni |
| foot | *-ɨkxɨ |
| full | *teːn-tok |
| give tr. | *-maka |
| good | *yeːk-tlɨ |
| hair | *-tzom |
| hand | *-mah |
| head | *-kwah |
| hear | *-kaki |
| heart | *-yoːl |
| I | *naha |
| kill | *mɨk-tɨ-ha |
| knee | *-tlan-kwah |
| know | *mati |
| leaf | *ɨswa-tl |
| lie | *mo-teːka |
| long | *weheya-k |
| louse | *atɨmɨ-tl |
| man | *tlaːka-tl |
| many | *mɨyak |
| meat | *naka-tl |
| moon | *meːtz-tlɨ |
| mountain | *tɨpeː-tl |
| mouth | *teːn-tlɨ |
| name | *toːkaːhɨ-tl |
| neck | *kəch-tlɨ |
| new | *yankwi-k |
| night | *yowal-lɨ |
| nose | *yaka-tl |
| one | *seː(m) |
| red | *chiːl-tɨ-k ? |
| road | *oh-tlɨ |
| root | *nelwa-tl ? |
| round | *yawal-tɨ-k ? |
| sand | *xaːl-lɨ |
| see | *-ɨhta |
| seed | *aːch-tlɨ |
| sit | *mo-tlalɨ-ha |
| skin | *eːwa-tl |
| sleep | *kochɨ |
| smoke | *poːk-tlɨ ? |
| stand | *kɨtza |
| star | *sitlalɨ-m |
| stone | *tə-tl |
| tail | *-kwitla-pɨl |
| that | *oːn- ? |
| this | *in- ? |
| thou | *təha |
| tongue | *-nɨnɨ-pɨl |
| tooth | *-tlan |
| tree | *kwa-wɨ-tl |
| two | *oːmə |
| walk (go) | *nɨh-nɨmi |
| warm (hot) | *to-toːnɨ-k ? |
| water | *aː-tl |
| we | *təha-mɨ-t |
| what | *tla-(hi ?) |
| white | *istaː-kɨ ? |
| who | *aːk |
| woman | *si/owaː-tl |
| yellow | *kos-tɨ-k ? |