nahual

English

Alternative forms

nagual

Etymology

From Spanish nahual, from Nahuatl nahualli (“sorcerer, spirit, animal form a person may take”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /nəˈwɑːl/

Noun

nahual (plural nahuals)

(in Mesoamerican mythology) An animal form which a person may take.
She has a nahual for every day of the week.
(in Mesoamerican mythology) A person who is able to take an animal form.
They suspected that the man was a nahual.

Derived terms

nahualism

See also

tonal

Spanish

Alternative forms

nagual

Etymology

From Classical Nahuatl nāhualli (“sorcerer”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /naˈ(ɣ)wal/
Rhymes: -al

Noun

nahual m (plural nahuales)

(Central America, Mexico) sorcerer
(Central America, Mexico) healer, witch doctor
(in Mesoamerican mythology) nahual (animal form which a person may take)
(in Mesoamerican mythology) nahual (person able to take animal form)

Synonyms

(sorcerer): brujo m, hechicero m
(healer, witch doctor): curandero m
(animal form): tonal m

Descendants

English: nahual

References

“nahual” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.
Carlos Montemayor et al. (2009) Diccionario del náhuatl en el español de México, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, page 93

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