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Chilaquiles

3 stages from Nahuatl to English.

Today it means a traditional Mexican breakfast dish of fried tortilla pieces simmered in red or green salsa

Where does the word "chilaquiles" come from? It comes from Nahuatl chīlāquīlli, passing through Spanish before entering English (1970s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
chīlāquīlli
Nahuatl · pre-1500s
"something covered in chili"
combined 'chilli' (chili pepper) and 'quilitl' (greens/herbs), describing chili-covered tortilla pieces
2
Stage 2 of 3
chilaquiles
Spanish · 1571
"fried tortilla pieces simmered in chili sauce"
first recorded in a Nahuatl-Spanish vocabulary compiled by the friar Alonso de Molina
3
Stage 3 of 3
chilaquiles
English · 1970s
"a Mexican dish of fried tortilla strips simmered in salsa"
borrowed into English through Mexican breakfast cuisine
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