Somethings You Just Can't Make Up: The Avocado Edition
Language is funny. And for the Aztecs, as much as they revered the avocado, they also thought it was pretty funny.
And rightfully so.
We humans, well, we just love playing with language. Slang is as ancient as Mesopotamia. But it was the Aztecs that really pointed out the obvious when it came to their beloved avocado. And, thanks to them, we’ve been snickering for centuries.
So, what am I talking about?
Well, the word for avocado in the Aztec language (Nahuatl) is "ahuacatl," which translates ( in rough colloquialism) as "testicle."
And if you've ever seen an avocado, you'll understand why!
Now, there is some debate about whether the word translates precisely to the body part (or was just creative slang) and whether the term was widely used, partly due to centuries of language evolution, translation edits, and usage. But slang is slang, euphemisms are euphemisms, and humans are humans.
Crude humor is part and parcel.
When we think of how our language evolves, we have to consider how we see connections through our physical world. From purely a visual sense, the most abundant important resource for the Aztecs had to be avocado.
Like many ancient societies, the Aztecs took their fruit very seriously. They traded it, used it in religious ceremonies, composed medicines, and even held it in high regard as an aphrodisiac throughout their empire.
And, the Aztecs, in their infinite wisdom, pointed out the obvious.
Avocados are just funny fruits, be it crude, juvenile, crass, or unenlightened. And the Aztecs, in their honesty, knew this fact very well and named it as such.
So let us take a moment to appreciate the Aztecs' honesty in naming things, calling spades spades, and ahuacatls ahuacatls. And for those who appreciate a good chuckle, let's thank the Aztecs for letting us know.
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Additional Sources:
Karttunen, F. (1987). Analytical Dictionary.
Canger, U. (2011). The Origin of Orthographic Hu for /W/ in Nahuatl. This study discusses the standardization of Nahuatl orthography, including the representation of words like "ahuacatl." It delves into the linguistic aspects of Nahuatl, providing a solid foundation for understanding how words from this language have been transcribed and translated over time.
Watson, G. (1938). Nahuatl Words in American English. This paper explores how Nahuatl words, including "ahuacatl," have been integrated into American English, tracing their journey through Spanish and into the wider English-speaking world. This source provides historical context for the incorporation of Nahuatl terms into English.
Haugen, J. D. (2009). Borrowed Borrowings: Nahuatl Loan Words in English. Haugen catalogs words of Nahuatl origin attested in the Oxford English Dictionary, providing a detailed examination of how these terms, including possibly "ahuacatl," have been adopted into English. This paper can offer insights into the broader impact of Nahuatl on the English language.