cicihtli
The Nahuatl word for grandma is cicihtli.
cicihtli is used to refer to a grandmother in an informal manner.
Meaning: grandmother (informal) (noun)
Did you know?
- Nahuatl is an 'agglutinative' language, meaning many words like cicihtli can be expanded into long sentences by adding prefixes and suffixes.
- While cicihtli is a common term, some communities use different words based on whether the grandmother is from the mother's side or the father's side, a distinction often lost in English.
- The concept of 'grandma' in Nahuatl culture is deeply tied to the preservation of language, as these women are often the last remaining holders of ancient oral traditions.
Example conversation
José and Maria are talking about their family.
- JoséCanine no-cicihtli?Where is my grandma?
- MariaIn cicihtli caltzintzian.Grandma is in the house.
- JoséTlazohca no-cicihtli.I love my grandma.
- MariaHuan nehuatl nitzohca.And I love her too.
