Etymology of Mexico

LAA   Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:32 pm GMT
The name "Mexico" is actually of Nahuatl origin, and it is properly pronounced (Me-shi-ko). The name was horribly bastardized by the Spanish. I just thought that tid-bit would be interesting to some of you.
Sander   Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:34 pm GMT
Nou ...
Luis Zalot   Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:14 pm GMT
LAA,

"The name "Mexico" is actually of Nahuatl origin, and it is properly pronounced (Me-shi-ko). The name was horribly bastardized by the Spanish. I just thought that tid-bit would be interesting to some of you. "


Hmm, you may want to reconsider this; in old-spanish (which was brought to the americas) pronounced words as so:

Old-spanish & Modern Spanish
Dixo- (di-sho) ---------(=dijo) pronounced as "di-ho"
Mexico- (Me-shi-co)--------(=mexico) pronounced as "me-hi-co"
Fazer- (fadzer)-------- (=hacer) pronounced as "hather" or "haser"
Coraçon- (coratson)---(=corazon) pronounced as "corathon or "corason"
Oios- (ozhos) -------(=ojos) pronounced as "ohos"
etc.

Further information regarding this and EVEN the pronunciation of Old-spanish:

http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/santiago/osppron.html
Uriel   Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:21 pm GMT
I met a Mexican the other week who, although he otherwise spoke no English (except for "yes"), worked hard to say "Mek-si-co". Not sure why. But it was sort of endearing.
LAA   Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:45 pm GMT
Did he look Indian? In other words, did he have dark brown skin, little to no body or facial hair, and straight, black hair?
Johnathan Mark   Fri Jul 28, 2006 6:06 pm GMT
There was no bastardization--at the time, that was how the Spanish word would have been pronounced. Evidence for this is the Andalucian city of Jerez de la Frontera. Originally (and occasionally today) spelled Xerez, it is the region where sherry is made. The word sherry is derived from the historically pronunciation of Xerez, as "Sherez."

Also, I have heard that French pronunciation of certain loan-words that were historically Spanish have maintained the "sh" sound, which today does not exist in Spanish.
Uriel   Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:31 am GMT
<<Did he look Indian? In other words, did he have dark brown skin, little to no body or facial hair, and straight, black hair?>>

No, he was totally guero. Pale skin, brown hair and eyes, and body hair. From Chihuahua. Not my usual type, actually -- I tend to like what you described! ;) But ya gotta be open-minded....
LAA   Thu Aug 03, 2006 4:06 am GMT
"No, he was totally guero. Pale skin, brown hair and eyes, and body hair. From Chihuahua. Not my usual type, actually -- I tend to like what you described! ;) "

If you don't mind me asking, are you a chicana? So you like the little Indian dudes ha? Even though most of them are very short, and small of build, with harsh facial features? My personal favorite are Mestiza chicks, with enough Spanish blood. Personally, in a way, I'm glad Mexico was conquered by the Spanish. Otherwise, I would be about 6 inches shorter right now, lol!
Tiffany   Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:09 am GMT
I would ask you if the term "white is right" meant anything to you, but I am not sure I'd want to hear the answer.

By the way, if Mexico was not conquered by the Spanish, you would not exist. Count yourself lucky, not for your height, but your existence.
LAA   Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:23 am GMT
By that, I assume you mean that since no two people are genetically the same, that I wouldn't be the same person that I am today.

"I would ask you if the term "white is right" meant anything to you, but I am not sure I'd want to hear the answer."

I'm not so sure what that term means, so I couldn't answer. But at least in my family, although we are essentially criollos, everyone wishes to pretend that we are of native Indian extraction. Even though we are "guero", my family members (especially the older generation) wishes to downplay our Spanish ancestry. There still exists, at least among some, a certain animosity toward Spain. I guess this is even true of the criollos, who always resented the privalleged peninsulares.
Tiffany   Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:28 am GMT
I'd say that you certainly don't believe as the rest of your family does then.
LAA   Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:40 am GMT
Why, because I prefer Mestizas and southern European girls over Indian girls? Have you seen native women of Mexico? My family was part of the Chicano Revolution in the 1960s and '70s, right along with the "brown" Mexicans. If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch the recent movie by Eddie Olmos (who is my brother's wife's brother) on the subject. There's a girl in that movie, who was earlier the star of "Spy Kids". They darken her skin in the movie a bith with make-up, but she looks very much like most people in my family.
Tiffany   Thu Aug 03, 2006 5:48 am GMT
I live in California. You can bet I do.
Guest   Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:01 am GMT
"I live in California. You can bet I do. "

No, by "native women of Mexico", I mean the Indians. That doesn't include Mestizos and criollos.
Tiffany   Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:26 am GMT
I would still say yes. I know what indigenous people (indios) look like. And why does it matter what the girl in Spy Kids looks like?

By the way, Uriel is part Portuguese. Not a "chicana" if I recall.