The Nahuatl name Chīchīmēcah (plural, pronounced ; singular Chīchīmēcatl) means "inhabitants of Chichiman"; the placename Chichiman means "Area of Milk".
The Nahua used the word "Chichimeca" originally to refer to their own ancient history as a nomadic hunter-gatherer people, in contrast to their later, more urban culture, which they identified as Toltecatl [REF].