Cihuacuicuil (Verg40r)

Cihuacuicuil (Verg40r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Cihuacuicuil (“Freckled Woman”), attested here as a man’s name. It shows a woman’s (cihuatl) head in profile, facing left. The skin on her face is spotted, which suggests she has pock marks or freckles (cuicultic). To the left of this face, and coming out of her mouth, is a spray of water (atl) containing four small spurts, each one ending in a droplet or bead. This phonetic syllable -a- is a part of the start to the name, Cihua-.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Interestingly, this man’s name has a female dimension. Another man, with the name Cuicuil, shows a hieroglyph of a man’s head with large spots on his face (see below). Cuicuiltic can also refer to something painted, varicolored, or even scratched. Some more examples also appear below.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

thomas. çihuacuicuil

Gloss/Text Normalization:

Tomás Cihuacuicuil

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Vergara, Codex (Verg)

Date of Manuscript:

1539

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

near Tepetlaoztoc, near Tetzcoco

Semantic Categories:

personal name

phonetic dimensions

Syntax:

noun(s)

syllable: a/atl (from atl)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Anatomy, human body parts

Gender (female)

Gender (male)

Names (men's, but w/ female dimension)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Water

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

facing left

profile view

spotted or mottled

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

multidirectional

Keywords:

pecas, marcas de virhuela, picada, picado, lunar, lunares, cara

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

cihua(tl), a woman, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cihuatl
cucuiltic, spotted, pock-marked, freckled, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cuicuiltic
a(tl), water, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/atl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Mujer Pecosa

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 40r, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f87.item.zoom, accessed 10 March 2026 The Vergara is associated with Tepetlaoztoc, in the larger region of Tetzcoco, c. 1539–1543. “Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF.” We would also appreciate a citation to the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, https://aztecglyphs.wired-humanities.org/.

Image Source, Rights:

Image 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.” We would also appreciate a citation to the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, https://aztecglyphs.wired-humanities.org/

Orthography:

"çi" for ci

"th" for t, d, or gd

intrusive period

Historical Contextualizing Image: