Download Machala _VERIFIED_
Sebrina Lobianco
My background is Nicaraguan/Puerto Rican but I grew up in the continental US. Growing up we would use the word machala to refer to snakes and the word papalote to refer to moths (specifically moths, mariposa was for butterflies). However as an adult I can't find any reference for these being actual words in Spanish and I'm afraid of looking dumb if I use them. Did some digging and found out that "Papalotl" is apparently a Nahua butterfly deity so I think "papalote" in this context comes from Nahua rather than Latin, but all I get for machala is a city in Ecuador. Has anyone encountered these words in the wild and/or might be able to give further insight into their etymology? Are these real words commonly used by mainstream Spanish speakers?