The story
- Yucatec Maya · derived fromtsʼonoʼot“hole with water”
- Spanish · borrowed fromcenote
- English todaycenote
From Spanish cenote, from Yucatec Maya tsʼonoʼot (“hole with water”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
cenote
Today it means: A deep natural well or sinkhole, especially in Mexico and Central America, formed by the collapse of surface limestone that exposes groundwater underneath, and sometimes used by the ancient Mayans for sacrificial offerings. Full definition →
Spanish cenote ← Yucatec Maya tsʼonoʼot