amochitl (FCbk11f215r)

amochitl (FCbk11f215r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound hieroglyph shows a cave with water (atl, the phonetic clue that this term starts with a-) gushing forth. Sitting atop the water appears to be a saw blade, but it must be a piece of tin (amochitl), for the nearby text discusses tin, mentioning the name and noting a visual relationship to foam and vapor (mochitl), which have a white-like appearance similar to the metal and are said to be “somewhat beautiful.” Thus, these elements are potentially both phonetic and/or logographic. Incidentally, the text also references the existence of a “mother-tin.”

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

This digital collection has neither a glyph for mochitl or amochitl so far (December 2025), but this example of a late-evolution compound glyph is a valuable contribution. The water is more of a river than the old hieroglyphs or elements for atl, but it does have the usual lines of current, the droplets or chalchihuitl beads, and the cilin shells splashing off. More of a late evolution is the element that is “tin,” especially if it is a saw blade. It is reminiscent of the tepozahuatl metal spur identified by Juan José Batalla in the glyph for Mazahuatl (MH517v, see below). If so, this suggests European technological influence. But it may simply be a reference to the shine on the metal. The cave in this scene is a landscape feature that suggests European artistic influence. Other, earlier ways of drawing caves appear below.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

Amochitl

Gloss/Text Normalization:

amochitl

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Florentine/Florentinus, Codex (FC)

Date of Manuscript:

1577

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Mexico City

Semantic Categories:

phonetic dimensions

phonetic possibilities

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

later evolution

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Family, Kinship, even Friendship

Gender (female)

Landscape Features

Metals, Minerals, Mining

Stones, Rocks, Lapidary, Masonry

Technology (all types), plus Tools

Water

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

upward

Keywords:

hoja de sierra, tecnología, agua, cueva, cuevas

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

amoch(itl), tin, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/amochitl
moch(itl), foam, vapor, smoke, scum, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/mochitl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

el plomo

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Digital Florentine Codex/Códice Florentino Digital, edited by Kim N. Richter and Alicia Maria Houtrouw, "Book 11: Earthly Things", fol. 215r, Getty Research Institute, 2023. https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/en/book/11/folio/215r/images/0 Accessed 16 November 2025.

Image Source, Rights:

Images of the digitized Florentine Codex are made available under the following Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International). For print-publication quality photos, please contact the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana ([email protected]). The Library of Congress has also published this manuscript, using the images of the World Digital Library copy. “The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse.”

Historical Contextualizing Image: