The word mecate has its origin in the Mexican Nahuatl language "mecatl". This word is made up of the words "metl" and "catl", which mean "Maguey" and "Estar", respectively.
According to its etymological composition, the word mecate means "what is in the Maguey", and refers to the ropes or ropes made with the fibers of this plant.
The word "Mecatl" was also used to refer to a succession of events, and even to a specific lineage, depending on the context in which the word was used for the Nahuatl.
However, the most common use of this expression is to designate the strings made with fibers from the Maguey leaves.
This expression remained in the collective imagination and evolved over time. Nowadays, any type of rope is usually called rope, even if it is made with a material other than Maguey fiber.
Evolution of the term Mecate
At the beginning, the word rope was used exclusively to name ropes made with maguey fibers.
However, after the Spanish colonization, ropes made of other types of fibers, such as horsehair, cabuya or hemp, arrived in the new world.
Despite the diversification of the ropes, the ropes in general continued to be called "Mecatl", without any type of limitation on the material used in their elaboration.
Over the years, in addition to the fluid and repeated use of the term, phonetic changes were induced that made the word evolve from its original Nahuatl word: “Mecatl”, to the current expression: “Mecate”.
Nowadays, the word rope is used to designate natural fiber ropes, polypropylene, nylon, horsehair, etc; that is, it is used for generic appointments.
In which countries is the term “Rope” used?
Rope
Given its geographical origins, the word mecate is extremely popular in Mexico, some neighboring countries of Central America and Venezuela.
As previously mentioned, the term is often used to refer to some string or rope, regardless of the raw material from which it is made.
The rope is an instrument used to tie knots or tie objects. It is generally of considerable thickness, to ensure the strength of the tie and the structure of the string.
This type of material is currently used for agricultural applications, in the field of construction, in the marine, in the industrial sector, and even for domestic uses.
However, in Mexico an alternative use is given to the term. The word mecate is also used to refer to a measure of surface in rural areas.
More specifically, this measurement system is used in Yucatán. One rope equals 576 square rods; that is, 402.5 square meters, expressed in the metric system.
References
- Definition and etymology of mecate (2017). Recovered from: definiciona.com
- Etymology of mecate (2017). Santiago de Chile, Chile. Recovered from: etimologias.dechile.net
- Origin of the word mecate (sf). Recovered from: dictionarydedudas.com
- Everyday words of pre-Hispanic origin (2015). Recovered from: chilango.com
- Meaning of rope (2017). Recovered from: meanings.com