[SkyDancer]

Why do "Mexicans" speak Spanish instead of Mexican? In the US tribes speak their own language. Mexicans, if they're really Mexicans should speak Nahuatl which is one of the 63 languages of Mexico.

Nahuatl was the language employed by the Aztec civilization when Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortez arrived in the New World in 1519 and has been spoken in Mesoamerica since at least AD 700.

The Nahuatl dialect that was spoken in the Aztec capital city of Tenochititlan (modern day Mexico City) was considered a prestige dialect, and when it was combined with the Latin alphabet, the resulting dialect became known as Classical Nahuatl. While Nahuatl is still spoken, the current version has been so influenced by Spanish throughout the years that no modern day Mexicans speak Classical Nahuatl

[kearnyirish2]

“Why do “Mexicans” speak Spanish instead of Mexican?”

For the same reason Americans speak English instead of American.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

According to historian Charles Mann, there were 25 million people in the “New World” when Cortez arrived in 1519.
One hundred years later, the estimate was 700,000.

[Owl558]

“Why do “Mexicans” speak Spanish instead of Mexican?”

The Spanish were VERY good at what they did. Plenty of words remain and there are plenty of dialects, but you make a great point. Languages live or they become latin.

Laying the Latin alphabet over Nahuatl set it’s course.