Cemoquich (MH638r)

Cemoquich (MH638r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the compound glyph for the personal name Cemoquich (“An Only Man,” or "A Lone Man"?) is attested here as a man’s name. It shows the small head of a man (oquichtli) in profile, facing toward the viewer's right. His eye and mouth are open. In front of his face is an egg-shaped oval with hatching or a mesh design. The oval is as large or larger than the man's head. The oval may be intended as a numerical notation for one (ce) or may be meant to indicate an ear of corn (centli, also spelled as cintli), providing the phonetic element for the start of the name (Cem-). Given that the man's mouth is open, about to bite the object in front of him, the reading of cintli/centli is most convincing.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The glyph for the personal name Cemolotl is reminiscent of the one here. Cemolotl was a way of saying "one" (given that olotl was a counter in the numbering system). Of course, olotl also refers to one maize cob after the kernels were removed, yet in both glyphs there are indeed indications of kernels (whether through cross-hatching or segmentation). Given the centrality of these corn cobs to daily life for the Nahuas, it is no wonder that they could be useful as counters.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

cemoq~ch

Gloss Normalization:

Cemoquich

Gloss Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)

Date of Manuscript:

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories:

personal name

numbers

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Anatomy, human body parts

Corn, Maize

Gender (male)

Mouth/Beak Open

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Numbers, Math

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

checked, cross-hatched, or mesh

facing right

oval (see also leaf shaped)

frontal view

profile view

Keywords:

maize, maíz, hombres solos, género

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

cemoquich(tli), an only man, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cemoquichtli
ce, one, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/ce
cin(tli), dried ear of maize, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cintli
oquich(tli), a man, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/oquichtli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Hombre Solo

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 638r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=358st=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: