Where does “cacau” come from?

cacau (Portuguese) comes from Spanish Cacao, from Classical Nahuatl cacahuatl, from Proto-Nahuan *kakawa-.

cacau (Portuguese): cocoa; cacao

Definitions

  1. cocoa; cacao

Ancestry of “cacau”, step by step

cacau traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Spanish Cacao

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SpanishCacaothe 655th most common surname in Guatemala
2Classical Nahuatlcacahuatlcacao, cacao bean
3Proto-Nahuan*kakawa-—

via Romanian căca

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Romaniancăcato defecate, shit
2Frenchcacapoo
3Latincacōto defecate, shit, pass excrement

Words derived from “cacau”

Every word from Proto-Nahuan *kakawa- →Every word from Classical Nahuatl cacahuatl →Every word from Spanish Cacao →