Glossary and Terms of Aztec Empire

Adobe –
A substance used in construction that is created by combining sand, clay, and water before letting it dry in the sun. Adobe was used in the construction of several Aztec dwellings.

Amanteca
Featherworkers of the Aztec civilization. For the nobility, they created garments and headdresses.

Aqueduct –
A long-distance water transportation system developed by humans.

A calmecac.
A nobility-only institution where students received training for careers as priests, generals, and government officials.

Calpulli
A collection of families, somewhat like a clan. Underneath the city-state was where the Aztec government was divided.

Causeway –
A bridge over a canal. Causeways across the lake to connect with Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital.

Chinampa
Artificial islands utilised for agriculture. Due to majority of the terrain being swampland, the Aztecs constructed these around the city of Tenochtitlan.

City-state –
A main city and the surrounding area make create an independent administration.

Codex –
A book with many pages that have been folded zigzag-style. Codices are where we get a lot of information about the Aztecs.

The conquistadors
Spanish adventurers, conquerors, and explorers. For the Spanish Empire, they colonised a large portion of Central and South America.

Empire
A confederation of nations or peoples ruled by a single monarch or ruler known as an emperor.

Huitzilopochtli –
He was the main Aztec deity and the sun and war god. He served as Tenochtitlan’s patron deity.

In Macehualtin
The Aztec Empire’s working class.

Maize –
A corn-like vegetable. It served as the Aztecs’ principal source of sustenance.

Mexican America
A section of southern North America encompassing the countries of Mexico and Costa Rica.

Mexica
A nickname for the inhabitants of the Valley of Mexico.

Montezuma
The name Montezuma was used for two of the most significant Aztec emperors. It can also be written Moctezuma.

Nahuatl
The tongue of the Aztec people. Some people in central Mexico still speak it now.

The obsidian
A brittle, hard rock that can be used to hone tools’ edges.

The llama
A rubber ball is used in an Aztec game.

Omens –
Some people believe that certain events or phenomena can predict the future.

The pictograph
A meaning-conveying symbol that resembles a real-world object.

Pipiltin
Class at the top or noble in the Aztec Empire. They were in charge of the priests, the armed forces, and the government.

Pochteca
A group of traders who made extensive journeys to deliver the Aztecs valuable things. They belonged to a significant and well-respected social group.

Pyramid
A structure with four sides at the bottom that taper to a point at the top, resembling the general shape of a geometric pyramid. Aztec pyramids had a flat top and were constructed with big steps. They were constructed as temples for their deities.

Sacrifice –
An offering to the gods, usually food or an animal. The Aztecs also sacrificed people.

Smallpox –
A contagious illness that frequently results in death.

In Tenochtitlan.
The Aztec Empire’s capital city.

The Tlatoani
The word “Tlatoani” refers to the head of a city-state and meaning “speaker”. The “great speaker” or Huey Tlatoani was the ruler of the Aztec Empire.

Tlaxcala
The Tlaxcala, an Aztec adversary city-state, joined forces with Cortes to subjugate the Aztecs.

The Toltecs
A prehistoric culture that existed before the Aztecs. The aristocracy insisted they were decedents of these fabled figures.

Tribute
A contribution made by the city-states to the Aztec Emperor in Tenochtitlan, their capital.