Chalcatl (Mxnus56)

Chalcatl (Mxnus56)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the ethnic label Chalcatl (someone from Chalco) shows a chalchihuitl, a precious green stone (jade or jadeite). This sign consists of a dark-gray circle with a smaller, concentric circle inside and four small circles on the perimeter. If one were to connect these smaller circles on the perimeter with lines, the resulting shape would be an X. Inside each of these perimeter circles is a dot.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The four small circles on the perimeter may create a shimmering effect.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

chalcatli

Gloss Normalization:

Chalcatl

Gloss Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Mexicanus, Codex (Mxnus)

Date of Manuscript:

ca. 1590

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

central Mexico

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

simplex or element as logogram

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Race, Ethnicity, Identity

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

circle(s) (small, often concentric)

cross (x)

frontal view

Keywords:

jades, piedras preciosas, lugares, Chalco

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

Chalcatl, an inhabitant of Chalco, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chalcatl
Chalco, a place name, a municipality, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chalco

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

una persona de Chalco

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15284/?sp=56&st=image. This image is hosted by the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library, but the manuscript is part of the holdings of Bibliothèque nationale de France and the original source is gallica.bnf.fr/BNF.

Image Source, Rights:

The non-commercial reuse of images from the Bibliothèque nationale de France is free as long as the user is in compliance with the legislation in force and provides the citation: “Source gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France” or “Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF.”

Historical Contextualizing Image: