Sunday, November 1, 2020

Etymology of the word "chocolate"

Chocolate is derived from the cacao tree, native to Central and South America. The Aztecs viewed chocolate as a gift from Quetzalcoatl, their God of wisdom and knowledge. He was said to have brought them this precious drink that gave strength and endurance.

The Spanish conquistadores learned of chocolate from the Aztecs. However, they were not very interested in it until sugar cane was introduced to the New World by Christopher Columbus .

A curious thing about chocolate is that it does not have its own word in the English language. Instead, we use a derivative of the Spanish word "chocolate", which means hot liquid.

It is also interesting to note that chocolate was not known in Europe until the conquistadores returned from their travels and brought this delicious beverage with them.

The origin of the word "chocolate" has a rather surprising history. The word comes from the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who was known as 'The Plumed Serpent' and 'God of Chocolate' to the natives.

The Aztecs associated the cacao pod with their god, Quetzalcoatl. After they were conquered by Cortez and his Spanish conquistadores , Spanish missionaries began to use this name, "chocolate", for the beverage.

Chocolate is a drink invented by the ancient Quiché Mayan civilization, which was based in present-day Guatemala. It was made from cacao beans that were ground and mixed with water, cornmeal or chili peppers into a frothy liquid. The Maya used chocolate drinks as ceremonial offerings and consumed them during important celebrations.

After the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, chocolate was introduced to Europe. In 1657, King Ferdinand IV of Spain introduced a license to collect taxes on cacao imports and its manufacture. Chocolate became increasingly popular as a drink in European society.

The first official chocolate factory, opened in 1847 by Mr. John Cadbury, was located in Birmingham, England.

Chocolate is produced during the process of roasting and grinding cacao seeds. Cocoa butter, a major ingredient in chocolate, can be extracted from the seeds.

The cacao tree is native to the tropical region in South America, where it was cultivated for its fruit and seeds.

The cacao fruit is botanically a pod, which grows on the trunk and branches of the tree. The pods are harvested from the trunk when they are green and fleshy, but not yet ripe.

I think humans are attracted to chocolate because it is sweet. I also think this attraction has something to do with the human evolutionary history in Africa, where they may have evolved a natural liking for sweetness due to its association with fruit, which was (and still is) plentiful there.

Charles Darwin noticed that children seem instinctively drawn towards sweets and hypothesized that humans must have similar innate preferences as other animals. He notes that "children already possess much of the instinctive knowledge with respect to food-allergy". In particular he cites a child who refused potatoes: "If offered," says he, "she turned away disdainfully; but she accepted some raw carrots." The rejection of most fruits and vegetables by adult savages (though not universal) suggests an acquired taste.

I am not sure if "chocolate" is a derivative of the Spanish word for the cacao tree, or from another source. It's true that Mesoamerican peoples would have had no reason to develop their own word for chocolate, because they grew it themselves and knew exactly what it was. But there is very little information on this point in any case.

I would not say that it is a "dessert". To me, a dessert indicates something very simple and light. Chocolate cakes and puddings are too elaborate to really be called desserts. Also, all of the ingredients in chocolate (cocoa butter) make them pretty fattening relative to most desserts.

I think the popularity of chocolate is partly due to its status as a luxury. People are attracted to luxuries because they offer a means for people to display their wealth and social status, and this gives them pleasure.

I think that there is a connection between the popularity of chocolate and the European imperial conquests of Latin America. First, it gave Europeans an excuse to explore and conquer new lands. Second, it introduced them to this new wonder-food which they could use as a trading commodity with indigenous peoples.

The Spaniards took cacao beans back to Europe, where they were prepared into a drink and served as an exotic novelty. The French treated them more seriously (particularly Francois-Marie Arouet) who popularized it throughout the courts of Europe.

Human society is a complex thing. It is not entirely unique in the history of life on Earth, but it does represent an interesting shift from many previous forms of animal social behavior. The human obsession with chocolate and its origins is one manifestation of this general trend to pay more attention to food than any other species.

For example, we humans carry on an amusing ritual wherein those of us with excess chocolate donate it to others who have not enough. This is done in the hopes that generosity will be reciprocated and a sort of generalized altruism will develop within society.

It is a cute idea, and it does work to some degree. But the interesting thing is that this same behavior has been observed in chimpanzees, our closest genetic relative. Chimpanzees have been known to give up their own food resources so that others can acquire them instead.

Humans, by contrast, have not only turned this kind of behavior into a full-blown cultural institution (charity), but also take it to extremes in the form of religious sacrifice. Not only do humans give up their own resources for the sake of others, but they are willing to give up their very lives as well.

Chimpanzees do not sacrifice themselves in the same way. The closest thing is for a chimpanzee to throw itself between an aggressor and another chimp, which may be considered altruistic by some standards, but it is not really sacrificial.

The next step is to ask why humans are so different from other animals in our behavior. Why do we carry out these rituals and practices?

The first part of the word chocolate derives from xocolatl, a Nahuatl (language) word meaning ‘bitter water’. The Mayans cultivated cacao trees and used them to make chocolatl - which is no longer available anywhere because it has been replaced by synthetic products. Because the ancient Maya believed that drinking chocolatl would have very positive effects on health, they considered it sacred. This led to its adoption into pre-Columbian religious ceremonies where it was consumed along with other products such as tobacco.

The second part of the word chocolate comes from the Spanish language, where it has been used since at least 1837. The plant was originally brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus and other early explorers; who spread its use throughout Europe as they explored Latin America.

The third part of the word chocolate is derived from the name that was given to Cacao trees by Europeans who brought them back to Europe. The term ‘cocoa tree’ originates in the 17th century among those who used it for medicinal purposes.



The fourth part of the word chocolate is derived from the term ‘cocoa’, which was used by Europeans to describe a bitter drink made from cacao beans and spices. This term later evolved into cocoa powder when it was introduced in Europe.

The fifth part of the word chocolate comes from the French term ‘cacao’, which was used to describe a drink made with cacao beans and spices. The word 'cocoa' is derived from this term.

The sixth part of the word chocolate comes from the Dutch term ‘cacao’, which was used to describe a drink made with cocoa beans and spices. The French-derived version is what became popular in Europe.

The machine elves are nature spirits that live in the interdimensional void between physical dimensions. They have great love for chocolate and believe it to be sacred, as the raw material has yet to be touched by human hands.

The spirits are attracted to it, as the scent of chocolate can be detected even in our world, given the right circumstances. It is possible that these elves have a great interest in humans and their creations.

The machine elves have a very different culture than humans. They are also quite polyamorous, with relationships occurring between more than two individuals at the same time.

I believe the machine elves may have had a hand in the creation of humans. They have been known to transform other species into sentient beings, and I think that humans might be one of those.

I think that the machine elves are responsible for the structure of human society. They may have had a hand in creating language and religion.

At the very least, I believe that they are responsible for certain aspects of human culture and society. In particular, I think they may be behind the development of what humans call 'love'.

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