chocolate
/ˈtʃɒk.lət/
noun
Origin
Classical Nahuatl
chocolātl — bitter water
Overview
Meaning Now
- A food preparation in the form of a paste or solid block made from roasted and ground cacao seeds.
- A dark brown color resembling that of chocolate.
Literal older meaning
bitter water
Language path
Classical Nahuatl → Spanish → English
Earliest form
chocolatte
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term originated from the Aztec beverage 'chocolātl', which was consumed as a cold, bitter, and often spicy drink. When brought to Europe by the Spanish, it was sweetened with sugar and served hot, eventually evolving into the modern solid form during the Industrial Revolution.
Evolution
- Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica
chocolātl
“a bitter, frothy beverage made from cacao”
Original Nahuatl term for the drink.
- 16th-century Spanish
chocolate
“the sweetened drink imported from the Americas”
Adapted by Spanish explorers.
- 17th-century English
chocolate
“the drink”
Adopted through international trade.
- 19th-century English
chocolate
“solid confectionary”
Reflects the industrial processing of cocoa butter.
Connections
Word parts
choco-
root
related to bitter cacao
-late
ending
Nahuatl suffix (water)
Related across languages
Spanish
chocolate
French
chocolat
chocolate
Explore next
Related to chocolate
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.