the word 'tequila' is a direct borrowing from mexican spanish, which itself derives from the náhuatl (aztec) name for the region and its people, 'tequillan' or 'tecuila', meaning "the place of the workers" or "the place where they cut." the spirit, distilled from the blue agave plant native to this area, became so intrinsically linked to its geographic origin that the place name was adopted as the product name. this is a classic example of a toponym becoming a common noun, entering english in the mid-19th century as trade and cultural exchange increased. the journey from a náhuatl place name to a globally recognized term for a specific liquor illustrates how products of distinctive regional character can define the very words we use for them.

this word is a loanword from mexican spanish, taken directly from the name of the town tequila in the state of jalisco, mexico. it is a toponym, not composed of separable morphemes in english.