There are tons of reasons to love avocados. Not only are they chock-full of good fats that keep your heart healthy and cut your cancer risk, but they
taste dang delicious. But they might take on a new giggle-worthy meaning when you learn their backstory.
Avocados originally came from Mexico and Central America, where the indigenous Nahua people found them. Back then, avocados were called the Nahuatl
word āhuacatl—which also happened to mean “testicles.” Scholars think the Nahua chose the name because of the fruit has a, uh, suggestive shape
and was considered an aphrodisiac, according to NPR. The Nahua probably used the anatomical definition as slang, like how we might use “nuts”
today, Nahuatl scholar Magnus Pharao Hansen, PhD, tells Snopes.
When the Spanish conquistadors came, they changed the name to aguacate, according to Today I Found Out. The United States imported the fruits, but
they were a tough sell because Americans had a hard time saying the word. Marketers tried using “avagato pear” and “alligator pear” in
reference to its shape (a more G-rated choice than the first time around). Eventually, they settled on “avocado.” Check out these other words that
have totally changed meanings.
Some people claim “guacamole” means “testicle sauce” because it comes from āhuacamōlli—a combination of āhuacatl (avocado) and mōlli
(sauce). But Mesoamerican language specialist Frances Karttunen, PhD, says that isn’t quite accurate. Guac didn’t come around until the fruit
became aguacate, and that Spanish translation didn’t carry the same double meaning the Nahuatl word did.
“Seems to me that contemporary Nahuah get a giggle out of looking up at the fruit hanging in the trees and thinking of them as vegetable
testicles,” says Dr. Karttunen. “But, except in jest, I don’t think a Nahua would imagine āhuacamōlli to be anything other than mashed up
avocado.”willardguy - 1-28-2018 at 11:23 AM
I can remember the term "alligator pear" from my childhood. evidently huevos took over! AKgringo - 1-28-2018 at 12:07 PM
add guácala to the mix - a Mexican expression for extreme disgust
also= guide her Skipjack Joe - 5-4-2019 at 03:30 AM
In south america it's called palta, which is what the Inca's called it. They give you a blank stare if you ask them for an avocado.basautter - 5-4-2019 at 05:34 AM
Interesting. I will be sure to share this new information the next time I am eating guacamole at a restaurant with friends!
