Tlatoani is the Nahuatl

Nahuatl

Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...

 term for the ruler of an altepetl

Altepetl

The altepetl, in Pre-Columbian and Spanish conquest-era Aztec society, was the local, ethnically based political entity. The word is a combination of the Nahuatl words ā-tl, meaning water, and tepē-tl, meaning mountain....

, a pre-Hispanic state. The word literally means "speaker", but may be translated into English as "king

King

- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...

". A ([si.waː.tɬaʔ.to.ˈaː.ni]) is a female ruler, or queen regnant

Queen regnant

A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....

.

The term quauhtlatoani refers to "provisional, interim, or at least non-dynastic rulers". The leaders of the Mexica

Mexica

The Mexica were a pre-Columbian people of central Mexico.Mexica may also refer to:*Mexica , a board game designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling*Mexica , a 2005 novel by Norman Spinrad...

 prior to their settlement are sometimes referred to as quauhtlatoque, as are those colonial rulers who were not descended from the ruling dynasty.

See also

• List of Tenochtitlan rulers
• List of rulers of Texcoco
• List of Tlatelolco rulers
• Aztec Emperors family tree
  Aztec emperors family tree
  The following image is a family tree of the Aztec Emperors from 1376 to 1525....
  
  
• Aztec Empire