1. What did the Spanish learn from the ancient civilizations?
1.1. Aztecs spoke Nahuatl
1.2. Mayans spoke Yucatec Maya
1.3. Inca spoke Quechua
1.4. Olmec spoke Zapotec
2. Differences Between the Civilizations
2.1. Maya
2.1.1. First Mesoamerican civilization who lasted the longest out of the four civilizations. Mainly established in Mexico and later spread through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
2.2. Olmecs
2.2.1. Olmecs were younger than the Maya. It is unclear if the Maya may have merged with the Olmec Civilization.
2.3. Inca
2.3.1. Inca were no where near the Maya, Olmec and Aztecs. The Inca were in Peru. They lived for about 300 years. Never established a writing system. But were very advanced for their short period of time.
2.4. Aztecs
2.4.1. Aztecs founded their largest city, Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco. They settled around what is today known as Mexico City or Mexico's capital.
2.5. The Difference Between The Aztec, Maya, Inca, And Olmec - KnowledgeNuts
3. Common Words We Use in Spanish
3.1. Aztecs
3.1.1. Aguacate (avocado), Camote (sweet potato), Cacahuate (peanut), Elote (corn), Chicle (gum)
3.1.1.1. Spanish Words that Come from Nahuatl (Aztec)
3.2. Olmec
3.2.1. Their are no common words that come the language spoken by the Olmecs. The language they spoke is complex and is still spoken today by 800k indigenous people in Mexico.
3.3. Maya
3.3.1. Chamaco(a) (refers to a young child), cachito (a small part of something), patatús (ready to faint), cacao
3.4. Inca
3.4.1. Cancha (outdoor playing field), Cura (priest), carpa (tent)
3.4.1.1. 10 Common Words in Spanish and English That Come From Quechua · Global Voices
4. Who Colonized Latin America?
4.1. Spain
4.1.1. Spain colonized most of Latin America. Portugal and France had major influences on the region, but Spain was the main country in control.