Chiauhcoatl (MH816r)

Chiauhcoatl (MH816r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Chiauhcoatl (referring to a certain venomous rattlesnake) is attested here as a man’s name. The glyph shows a profile view of a coiled serpent facing toward the viewer’s right. It is spotted and has a protruding, bifurcated tongue. Below the serpent and to the right is a swirling, rectangular representation of a whirlpool of water. At the bottom in the center of the glyph are two chevrons that fill the space near the spot where the snake and the stepped fret (perhaps called xicalcoliuhqui) water come together.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The Chiauh- (or Chiyauh-?) start to the name may refer to a swamp, and therefore this may be a rattlesnake that lives in swamps. On the other hand, the chiayahuitl (swamp, marsh) element is a phonetic indicator for the Chiauh- start to the name and not intend to connect the snake to a swamp. This glyph analysis could benefit from further research.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

pedro chi^āuhcoatl

Gloss Normalization:

Pedro Chiauhcoatl

Source Manuscript:

Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)

Date of Manuscript:

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories:

personal name

phonetic dimensions

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Animals: Reptiles

Gender (male)

Landscape Features

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Tongue Protruding/Noticeable

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

spiral as rectangular

spotted or mottled

Keywords:

cohuatl, serpientes, víboras, pantanos, nombres de hombres

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

chiauhcoa(tl), a certain venomous snake with a rattler tail, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chiauhcoatl
chiyahu(itl), a swamp or a marsh, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/chiyahuitl
xicalcoliuhqui, stepped fret coil, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xicalcoliuhqui
coa(tl), serpent, snake, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/coatl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Serpiente Venenosa con Cascabeles

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 816r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=706&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).

Orthography:

"v" for u, uh, or hu

Historical Contextualizing Image: