cuauhcihuatl (FCBk10F36r)

cuauhcihuatl (FCBk10F36r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This is a multicolored drawing of the compound glyph for the noun, cuauhcihuatl. It shows a stone (tetl) with the diagnostic diagonal stripes and curling ends. It also has a little orange coloring. Below the stone is a red heart (yollotl) with hatching that gives it a three-dimensionality. Given that these terms do not enter into the sound of the name, they must be semantic, suggesting that an eagle-like woman had a tough heart.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

This glyph comes from the Florentine Codex, which describes the cihuacoatl as "resolute, firm of heart...brave, like a man...endures things like a man. She becomes firm — takes courage," among similar descriptions. For the full quote, see our Online Nahuatl Dictionary.

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

Quauhcioatl:

Gloss Normalization: 

cuauhcihuatl

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Florentine/Florentinus, Codex (FC)
Date of Manuscript: 

1577

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Mexico City

Syntax: 
adjective
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Anatomy, human body parts
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Gender (female)
Stones, Rocks, Lapidary, Masonry
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black
red
white/neutral
yellow or golden
Shapes and Perspectives: 
frontal view
shading and parallel line hatching
three-dimensionality
Parts (compounds or simplex + notation): 
2
Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation): 
undetermined as yet
Keywords: 

mujeres, fuertes, valientes

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

cuauhcihua(tl), a mature woman, brave, firm of heart (literally, eagle-woman), https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cuauhcihuatl
cuauh(tli), eagle, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cuauhtli
cihua(tl), woman, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cihuatl

Image Source: 

Library of Congress, https://florentinecodex.getty.edu/book/10/folio/36r/images-0

Image Source, Rights: 

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. If you do publish anything from this database, please cite the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs.

Historical Contextualizing Image: