GUATEMALA COUNTRY NAME The name Guatemala is believed to be derived from Cuauhtēmallān; a Nahuatl word that translates to “a place of many trees”, referring to the abundance of kidneywood trees found in the area when discovered during the Spanish Conquest. Another possible explanation for the name would be the Mayan word ‘Guhatezmalh’ which means “mountain that vomits water” in […]
BELIZE – COUNTRY
BELIZE COUNTRY NAME The name Belize is thought to have two possible meanings, both derived from Mayan words. The first is said to come from the word belixe, meaning muddy water referring to the many swamps and rivers found in the country. The second, perhaps more interestingly, is proposed to have come from “bel itza”, literally translating to “The road […]
MEXICO – COUNTRY
MEXICO COUNTRY NAME The derivation of the name Mexico is, to this day, still debated. One possible explanation is that it is an ethnonym; a proper noun referring to an ethnic group. In this case, the word is derived from Mexica, the rulers of the Aztec empire. Another suggests that it’s derived from metzli; moon, and xictli; navel, meaning that […]