How did the word cacao reach English from Proto-Mixe-Zoquean?

The word cacao reached English through a multi-stage linguistic transmission originating from the Proto-Mixe-Zoquean language family. The term began as the Proto-Mixe-Zoquean reconstruction kakaw(a*), which served as the root for the word "cacao" in the region.1

This term was subsequently borrowed from Mixe-Zoquean into Nahuatl, where it evolved into the form cacahuatl. Following the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, the word was adopted from Nahuatl into Spanish. Finally, the term was borrowed from Spanish into English, where it has been used since the 16th century to refer to the plant, its seeds, and the products derived from them.213