Nahuatl and Hopi are sister languages classified as part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. They are not mutually intelligible despite historical accounts (fabrications). However, several cognates do exist and are possibly of interest.
Table of Nahuatl and Hopi cognates with reconstructed Proto-Uto-Aztecan roots
PUA | Nahuatl | Hopi | |
Nouns | |||
water | *pata | paca ‘to wash’ ātl ‘water’ | paahu (springwater) |
reed | *pakata | ācatl | paaqavi |
prickly pear cactus | *napi | nopalli | návƗ |
pine tree | *wokon | ocotl | löqö |
fruit | *taka | xocotl | toko(‘at) |
root | *na | nelhuayotl | ngahu |
eagle | *kwa(c)a | cuauhtli | kwaahu |
rabbit | *tapu/*taci | tochtli | taavo |
wildcat | *musa | mitzli (mountain lion) | moosa (domestic cat) |
coyote | *kwaw | coyotl | kwew |
butterfly | *palo/*papalo | papalotl | poli |
bird | *cutuu | tototl | co:ro ‘bluebird’ tootsa ‘hummingbird’ [?] |
owl | *tuku(ri) | tecolotl | koko ‘burrowing owl’ [?] tokori ‘screech owl’ |
bird (small) | *wici | huitzilin ‘hummingbird’ cuicuitzcatl ‘swallow’ | ciro ‘snowbird’ |
turtle | *ayV | ayotl | aaya ‘rattle’ |
sun | *tapi ‘sun, day’ | tona | taawa |
day | *tapi ‘sun, day’ | tonali | taala, taawa |
moon | *miya/*mica | metzli | muuyaw |
star | *su?u | citlalin | soohi |
hill | *tu | tepec | tuukwi (mesa) |
road | *po | otli | pohi |
grinding stone | *mataR | metlatl | mata |
house | *kani | calli | qeni ‘place; room’ |
planting stick | *wika | huictli | wihkya |
ear | *naka | nacaztli | naqvu |
nose | *yaka [PSUA] | yacatl | yaqa(‘at) |
hand | *ma | maitl | maa(‘at) |
tooth | *tanmi | tlantli | tama |
Verbs | |||
to enter | *paki | aqui, calaqui | páki |
to give | *makaa | maca | maqamamqa ‘offering’ |
to take | *kwisiC ‘to carry/take’ | cui | kwisi |
to drink | *hi/*hiku | i | hiko |
to bend | *ŋola ‘go/turn back, bend, turn‘ | noloa | ngolo ‘become bent’ ponilti ‘change direction’ |
to walk | *nïmi ‘walk around, live’ | nehneme | waynuma ‘walking around’ |
to split | *tapa ‘to split; to break’ | tlapani ‘to split’ tlapoa ‘to open’ | tuku ‘to cut’ |
to sew | *coma ‘to sew’ | (ih)tzoma | soma ‘to tie’ |
to throw | *taha/*teha ‘put away’ | tlatlaza | tuuva |
to know | *maci ‘to know; to emerge’ | mati | mamaatsi ‘deduce; identify’ [?] |
to breathe | *kiikwisi | ihiotiaihiyoquiza | hìikwista |
to be cold | *icu | cehua (to be cold as in weather) itztic ‘something cold’ | iyo-ho?o |
Adjectives | |||
heavy | *piti | etic | píti |
long | *wïl-pa’a ‘tall, long’ | weyak | wuupa |
big | *wi | huey | wiko |
warm | *yu’mi | yemanki ‘warm water’ | muki |
dry | *waki | waki | láki |
[negative] | *ka | ah-, ahmo- | qa- |