Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Aztec - Nahuatl: the Aztec language
- Indigenous languages of Mesoamerica - Mesoamerican linguistic prehistory
- pre-Columbian civilizations - Society, culture, and technology
- Nahuatl
- pre-Columbian civilizations - The rise of the Aztec
- Mesoamerican civilization
- Mexico - Pre-Columbian Mexico
- history of Latin America - Postconquest indigenous society
- pre-Columbian civilizations - Mesoamerican civilization
When did Nahuan speakers begin to have a major impact in Mesoamerica?
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Nahuan speakers, who belong to the Uto-Aztecan linguistic family, did not have a major impact in Mesoamerica until the Terminal Classic Period, which began after 800 ce.1
While some archaeological theories have historically suggested a connection between Nahuan speakers and the earlier Teotihuacán civilization (200 bce–650 ce), linguistic and historical evidence indicates that their arrival in the region coincides more closely with the fall of Teotihuacán rather than its rise. Following their entry into Mesoamerica, Nahuan speakers became the primary bearers of Toltec and Aztec culture, eventually establishing Nahuatl as a dominant lingua franca across a vast area of Mexico.12