Axel (MH670r)

Axel (MH670r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Axel (“Dividing Water”) is attested here as a man’s name. The glyph shows a bird’s eye view of a large stream of water (atl). Near the upper part is a whirlpool. From there, four smaller streams branch off (-xel). All of the streams have lines of current (movement). The four smaller branches also have droplets and shells at their tips.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

Similar in meaning, although not visually, are the glyphs for the place name of Amaxac. See below.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Source Manuscript: 
Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
simplex or element as logogram
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Gender (male)
Landscape Features
Movement
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Shells
Water
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
spiraling, swirling, coiling, curling
circle(s) (small, often concentric)
Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

a(tl), water, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/atl
-xel-, divided or dispersed, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xel

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 670r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=420&st=image.

Image Source, Rights: 

This manuscript is hosted by the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library; used here with the Creative Commons, “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License” (CC-BY-NC-SAq 3.0).

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Atl Amaxac (CmpRG)