Chocolate

The word chocolate ("cacao-based drink" first attested ) comes from Nahuatl <chocolatl> /tʃokola:tl/, which in turn comes, by way of anticipatory vowel assimilation of i to o, from earlier /tʃikola:tl/ a form still attested in some Nahuatl varieties.

The original form chikolatl was first suggested by Dakin & Wichmann (2000) who argued the drink was named after a chicol-stick used to beat the chocolate drink until it becomes foamy. "Chicol" in turn comes from PCN *tsikori "hook, elbow".

In spite of the fact that Wixárika has the word tsíkurati "chocolate", this word cannot be reconstructed for PCN, as the Wixárika word is most likely a Nahuan loan (because of the presence of the -ti, which corresponds to the Nahuatl absolutive suffix). The form of the Wixárika word nevertheless strengthens the argument for an original form with the vowel /i/ in the first syllable.

There is a persistent claim that the Nahuatl source of chocolate is a word xocolatl or xocoatl - this is false. Xocolatl is not attested in any original source, and xocoatl is attested by Molina but refers to a sour maize-based drink (cacao is not mentioned in the entry).