apantli (Mdz38r)

Typical of water signs, this one has alternating droplets or chalchihuitl (round jade stones) and turbinate-shaped shells, splashing off the main flow. Water can take many shapes, but the turquoise color, the indication of currents, and the alternating shells and droplets splashing off, are hallmarks. This visualization of water could possibly intend only the "a" [from atl) and not the "pan" part of the place name locative (both of which are the phonetics provided by apantli in many cases). Apantli (water channels) are typically presented as contained by walls on the sides and bottoms, but not always, as the attestations of apantli, below, will show. Here, river seems a better translation than canal.