Malinche
1
9.9
A woman from Mexico's native people who helped Hernán Cortés as interpreter and adviser
- proper noun
- /məˈlɪnʧeɪ/
:
Malinche
Examples
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Guided by the Malinche, Cortez enters the plaza with his soldiers.
Academic text (1993) -
The Malinche served as a crucial interpreter for Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico.
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Throughout the conquest, Malinche's knowledge of languages was invaluable to the Spanish forces.
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The legacy of Malinche is complex, as she is both celebrated and criticized in Mexican history.
Surface Forms
Malinche main
Etymology
Malinche comes from the Nahuatl name Malinalli, which means 'grass'. Spanish speakers called the famous interpreter La Malinche, and because she helped Cortés as a translator and advisor her name is how history remembers her.