nantli
The English word "mother" is nantli in Nahuatl.
The term refers to a female human who gives birth to or parents a child.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Which one should you use?
While nantli is the standard term, māmā is used in informal contexts.
Did you know?
- The common term māmā is not originally Nahuatl but is a loanword from Spanish 'mamá' that has become integrated into modern daily speech.
- The word nantli is often used in a broader spiritual sense to describe the 'mother' of the earth or the cosmos in indigenous Mesoamerican cosmology.
- In Nahuatl, the concept of 'mother' is often used metaphorically to describe the source or origin of something, such as the 'mother' of a river or a mountain.
Example sentences for Nahuatl are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Cuauhtémoc is asking Yolanda about her family.
- Cuauhtémoc¿Cani ca moyantli?Where is your mother?
- YolandaNochantli ca calpan.My mother is at home.
- Cuauhtémoc¿Cuantia in nantli?Is the mother eating?
- YolandaQuachtoca, amo cuantia.She is drinking, she is not eating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
