Oaxaca City
1
3.5
- proper noun
- /oʊˈɑːkə/
- Many tourists visit Oaxaca City each year to experience its vibrant festivals and culinary traditions.
Examples
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The architecture of Oaxaca City reflects centuries of indigenous and colonial influence.
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After flying to Mexico, they took a bus south to Oaxaca City for the Day of the Dead celebrations.
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I visited Oaxaca City last summer.
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Have you ever been to Oaxaca City?
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Many tourists visit Oaxaca City each year to experience its vibrant festivals and culinary traditions.
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After flying to Mexico, they took a bus south to Oaxaca City for the Day of the Dead celebrations.
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The architecture of Oaxaca City reflects centuries of indigenous and colonial influence.
Synonyms
10
6.7
A city in southeastern Mexico known for its old Spanish buildings, lively markets, and local food
A city in southern Mexico that is the capital of Oaxaca
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the city of Oaxaca' is directly and compositionally derived from combining the place-name 'Oaxaca' with the noun 'city' (i.e. the urban area called Oaxaca). This place-name + city pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows a straightforward proper-name composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
Oaxaca City may come from an old native word 'Huāxyacac', which painted a simple picture of a place by a big 'huaje' tree or a hill that looked like a nose, and that image was shortened into the name. So today's Oaxaca City keeps that old picture as its name.