mapachin (Mdz12r)

The phonetic value for this glyph is both "ma" (from maitl, for hand) and "mapach" (from mapachin, for thief or raccoon), and therefore we include it as representing both logograms. It also represents the verb ma, which means to take or capture, tying in with the thief concept. According to Gordon Whittaker, we should pay attention to the upright hand without an arm attached versus the more horizontal or diagonal arm, which can have readings other than maitl, such as the "ma" of capture, "ana" of grab, or "poloa" of destroy. (Deciphering Aztec Hieroglyphs, 2021, 104) In this case, we do have an upright hand, but it is still trying to take something. Also, the "mapach" overlaps with the element for tapachtli, coral, which one can see in the compound (below, right). Since this is a place name in the Huasteca, it is reasonable to assume that the compound glyph is seeking to elicit a challenging phonetic reading. The place might not have anything to do with the meanings of the Nahuatl words for thief/raccoon, hand, or coral.