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Stage 1 of 3
mōlli
Nahuatl · pre-1500s
"sauce, something ground"
meant simply 'sauce' or 'something ground', the base word for many Aztec sauces
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Stage 2 of 3
mole
Spanish · 1600s
"a rich, complex sauce, often made with chilies and chocolate"
adopted into Mexican Spanish for elaborate chili-based sauces
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Stage 3 of 3
mole
English · 1930s
"a rich Mexican sauce, often containing chili peppers and chocolate"
borrowed into English through Mexican cuisine
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