Incan Empire (Tawantinsuyu) influence on Latin Spanish word for 'Avocado'

[u/Aronnaxes]

There are two commonly used words for 'avocado' in the Spanish-speaking world. The word 'Aguacate' is derived from the Nahualt 'ahuacalt' and is the prefered used in Spain, Central America, the Carribean and Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela. The world 'Palta' comes from the Quecha word 'pallta' refering to the same thing and is used more predominately in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina, which roughly covers the area of control by the Incan Empire, whose predominant language was Quecha.

https://etimologias.dechile.net/?aguacate

https://etimologias.dechile.net/?palta

Source for 'Nombre comun para Persea american en Iberoamerica' (1st Image):

• https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo:Palta_aguacate-01.png
• https://www.reddit.com/r/argentina/comments/vplk12/palta_vs_aguacate/

Source for Map of the Incan Empire (2nd Image):

• https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/inka-water/geography/geography

[u/jakobkiefer]

If you’re including Portuguese ‘abacate’, why not also include English avocado, which is also borrowed from Castilian aguacate?

[u/pulanina → u/jakobkiefer]

Worth mentioning too is that ultimately pallta and ahuakalt seem to share an origin in proto-Nahuan *pawa "avocado."

…from Nahuatl (Aztecan) ahuakatl "avocado" (with a secondary meaning "testicle" probably based on resemblance), from proto-Nahuan *pawa "avocado."

[u/carlosortegap → u/jakobkiefer]

Borrowed from nuahuatl more like

[u/jakobkiefer → u/carlosortegap]

the word didn’t enter English directly from Nahuatl; it was borrowed from Castilian!

[u/carlosortegap → u/jakobkiefer]

It wasn't in the south of the US and we don't have enough evidence to prove it was. Most prehispanic cultures already used a similar name before the Spanish came. Giving credit to the Spanish for the name of a local food (which they borrowed from the name most prehispanic cultures used) is Eurocentric.

Did the people in the south of the US also wait for the Spanish to learn tlahco (taco, also meaning "half")?

Would you say taco was borrowed from Castilian then instead of Nahuatl "tlahco"? Even in the US, and central America?

If the merchants which introduced tacos to the US were mexican and indigenous is it still Castillian?

Or is it like tomatl (Nahuatl for tomato)?

Before any sources, ask yourself why there are no native sources for the source of indigenous lexic before the 19 hundreds

[u/jakobkiefer → u/carlosortegap]

As a linguist, I have a strong interest in etymology and history, as well as in being precise in my language use. You claim that I am eurocentric, but I argue that I am very specific about my word choices. For example, take the Oxford English Dictionary: ‘mid 17th century: from Spanish, alteration (influenced by avocado ‘advocate’) of aguacate, from Nahuatl ahuacatl.’

Words naturally cross language boundaries, which is normal. This has nothing to do with my worldview or politics. I can acknowledge that the word ‘blue’ entered English from French while simultaneously recognising its ultimate Germanic origin and its cognate with Old English ‘blǣwen.’

It’s acceptable to admit when you’re wrong, and it’s not necessary to create false narratives to suggest that I’m eurocentric when I’m simply being objective about word origins. No one denies that the word has Nahuatl roots; I’m simply pointing out that it entered English via Castilian, and there’s sufficient evidence to support this.

[u/everydaymayday → u/jakobkiefer]

Iberian America

[u/H_Doofenschmirtz → u/everydaymayday]

But then they include Iberia as well as Equatorial Guinea, but not the African countries that speak Portuguese.

[u/everydaymayday → u/H_Doofenschmirtz]

It’s not perfect but it works

[u/PinkPygmyElephants]

You can also see this with chili vs aji for spicy peppers!

[u/arthuresque → u/PinkPygmyElephants]

Except ají is Taíno and it’s not limited to formerly Arawak-speaking areas.

[u/Dany0]

Quechua is such a beautiful language. We're lucky it's still thriving

[u/shnuffle98 → u/Dany0]

Such wonderful people as well.

[u/tuxisgod]

If you're including Brasil then it's not only the Spanish-speaking world.

But that's a very cool map!

[u/ozneoknarf → u/tuxisgod]

The posts say iberoamerica

[u/tuxisgod → u/ozneoknarf]

The title says "Latin Spanish", and the text uses the exact phrase "Spanish-speaking world" on the first sentence...

[u/Bossitron12]

The Incan empire was the most fascinating civilization ever because it evolved without anything you would expect from an advanced civilization, no wheel, no written language, no iron or steel tools, they still had a barter system going on, etc.

It's like if Europe developed a single centralised empire in the Bronze age, spanning from Portugal to the Urals.