Where does “xaltomatl” come from?

xaltomatl (Central Nahuatl) comes from Central Nahuatl tomatl, from Classical Nahuatl tomātl, from Proto-Nahuan *toma- — tomatillo.

xaltomatl (Central Nahuatl): creeping false holly

Definitions

  1. creeping false holly

Ancestry of “xaltomatl”, step by step

xaltomatl traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Central Nahuatl tomatl

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Central Nahuatltomatltomato family, tomatillo
2Classical Nahuatltomātltomato
3Proto-Nahuan*toma-tomatillo

via Central Nahuatl xalli

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Central Nahuatlxallisand
2Classical Nahuatlxāllisand
Every word from Proto-Nahuan *toma- →Every word from Classical Nahuatl tomātl →Every word from Central Nahuatl tomatl →