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Nagual

3 stages from Nahuatl to English.

Today it means in Mesoamerican folklore, a person believed to have the supernatural ability to transform into an animal

Where does the word "nagual" come from? It comes from Nahuatl nahualli, passing through Spanish before entering English (1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
nahualli
Nahuatl · pre-1500s
"a shapeshifting sorcerer or spirit companion"
named a shamanic practitioner believed able to shapeshift into an animal form
2
Stage 2 of 3
nagual
Spanish · 1600s
"a sorcerer or animal spirit companion"
adopted by Spanish colonists documenting Mesoamerican beliefs
3
Stage 3 of 3
nagual
English · 1900s
"a person's animal spirit counterpart in Mesoamerican belief"
borrowed into English anthropological and folklore writing
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