Náhuatl
· NāhuatlahtōlliVulnerableUto-Azteca · Centro de MéxicoWord Constructor
These languages build new words by joining roots and affixes. Type in Spanish or English and construct the word or phrase in the language.
Morphology explorer
Break a word into roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Affixes (prefixes & suffixes)
The pieces words in this language are built from.
Subject prefixes
- ni-I (subject)nitlahtoa = yo hablo
- ti-you sg.; we (subject)titlahtoa = tú hablas
- Ø-he/she (zero-marked)tlahtoa = él/ella habla
- an-you pl. (subject)antlahtoah = ustedes hablan
Object prefixes
- nēch-menēchitta = me ve
- mitz-you sg.mitzitta = te ve
- c- / qui-him/her/itquitta = lo ve
- tēch-us
- amēch-you pl.
- quin- / quim-them
- tla-something (indef. object)tlacua = come (algo)
- tē-someone (indef. human object)
Possessives
- no-mynocal = mi casa
- mo-your sg.mocal = tu casa
- ī-his/herīcal = su casa
- to-ourtocal = nuestra casa
- amo-your pl.
- īn-their
Reflexive
- mo-self / reflexivemopāca = se lava
- nino- / nimo-myself
Tense & aspect
- ō-past (antecessive)ōtlahtoh = habló
- -zfuturetlahtōz = hablará
- -yaimperfect
- -c / -quipreterite (perfective)
Directionals
- on-away (thither)
- huāl-hither (toward speaker)
Absolutive suffixes
- -tlabsolutive (after vowel)ātl = agua
- -tliabsolutive (after consonant)tlāntli = diente
- -liabsolutive (after l)calli = casa
- -inabsolutive (some nouns)michin = pez
Plural
- -mehplural (animate)cōconeh / pīpiltin
- -tinplural (after consonant)
- -hverbal pluraltlahtoah = (ellos) hablan
Reverential
- -tzin / -tzintlireverential / affectionatenonāntzin = mi venerable madre
Diminutive
- -tōn / -tontlidiminutive / pejorative
Locatives
- -c / -coin, at, place ofMēxihco = en el ombligo de la luna
- -panon, uponmīlpan = en la milpa
- -tlannext to, amongTōllān = junto a los tules
- -tla / -tlahabundance ofcuauhtlah = bosque (lugar de árboles)
Derivational
- -liztliaction nominalizer (-tion)tlahtōliztli = el (acto de) hablar
- -niagentive (one who…)tlahtoāni = el que habla, gobernante
- -yō(tl)abstract / collectivetlācayōtl = humanidad
Language structure
How this language works — its word order, morphology, sounds and writing. This reference also grounds the AI Word Constructor.
Word order
Flexible, basically VSO (verb–subject–object); a single verb can be a whole sentence.
Morphology
Polysynthetic and agglutinative: words stack subject/object/possessive prefixes and absolutive, plural, reverential, locative and derivational suffixes onto roots, with noun incorporation.
Sounds (phonology)
Four vowels (a, e, i, o) with phonemic length; signature consonants tl /t͡ɬ/, tz /t͡s/ and the saltillo (glottal stop). Stress falls on the penultimate syllable.
Writing system
Latin alphabet. Classical/colonial spelling coexists with the modern INALI orthography (tl, tz, hu/cu, saltillo ‘).
Key features
- The absolutive suffix (-tl/-tli/-li/-in) drops under possession.
- Prefixes mark both subject and object on the verb.
- Reverential forms express respect.
- Nouns can be incorporated into the verb.
This reference is also fed to the AI Word Constructor so it builds words the way the language actually works.