Coaix (MH659r)

Coaix (MH659r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the compound glyph for the personal name Coaix (“Snake Eye”) is attested here as a man’s name. The eye is on the viewer’s left. It is a fairly early representation of what is called the “starry” eye (as it doubles for a star), but it has a black iris. The snake is on the right of the eye. It is a partial snake, with a focus on the head, with eye open and bifurcated tongue protruding. Its body shows short black lines that may suggest segmentation or scaliness.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The association between the starry eye and knowledge or experience that leads to wisdom may come into play here. It may provide a clue into the Nahua thinking about serpents.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

agustin covayx

Gloss Normalization: 

Agustín Coaix (or Cohuaix)

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
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
compound fully logographic
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Anatomy, human body parts
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Gender (male)
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Tongue Protruding/Noticeable
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
bifurcated
circle, circular or rounded
facing right
frontal view
profile view
Parts (compounds or simplex + notation): 
2
Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation): 
right to left
Keywords: 

serpientes, víboras, ojos, nombres de hombres

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

coa(tl), snake or serpent, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/coatl
ix(tli), eye, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/ixtli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Serpiente-Ojo

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 659r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=398&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: 

coatl (Mdz32r)

ixtli (Mdz51r)

Ixtli (MH500r)