English 'cocoa' is a corruption of 'cacao,' from Nahuatl 'cacahuatl' (cacao bean) — a spelling error that became permanent.
A powder made from roasted and ground cacao seeds; a hot drink made from this powder.
From Spanish cacao, from Nahuatl (Aztec) cacahuatl (cacao bean, chocolate tree), a compound of caca- (feces, excrement, used here in the sense of seed or pit) + huatl (water, liquid, or a nominalising suffix in some analyses). The Nahuatl root reflects the sacred and profane intertwining characteristic of Aztec vocabulary for cultivated goods. The word entered Spanish following Hernán Cortés's contact with Mesoamerican civilisation in the early 16th century. Spanish cacao was modified to cocoa in English
'Cocoa' is actually a misspelling of 'cacao' that became permanent. The original Nahuatl word was 'cacahuatl,' which entered English as 'cacao.' During the 18th century, the spelling was accidentally swapped to 'cocoa,' possibly confused with 'coco' (coconut, from Portuguese). Despite this, English now uses both words: 'cacao' for the plant and raw beans, 'cocoa' for the processed