Name Change
The name Michoacan (“Exploring Michoacan, Mexico’s ‘Land of Lakes,’ “July 9) does not mean “land of lakes” in the Tarascan “dialect.” Michoacan is a Hispanicized version of the Nahuatl (Aztec) “Michuacan,” meaning “land of the fishermen” or “land of those who fish.” Furthermore, Tarascan is not a dialect; a dialect derives from another language. Tarascan, or Purepecha, as it is called properly, is a language unto itself. “Tarascan” is a Nahuatl word and not indigenous to the Michoacan area. Its meaning and origin are obscure.
ELIZABETH CASILLAS
Los Angeles
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