Miton (Verg45v)

Miton (Verg45v)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Miton (“Little Arrow”), attested here as a man’s name. In this compound, an arrow (mitl) is shooting down the throat of a bird (tototl). The bird plays a phonetic role, supplying the diminutive suffix, -ton. A hieroglyph similar to this one, but with an extra little arrow, appears on folio 52 verso.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

This represents a variation over other examples of Miton in this manuscript, where the arrow and the bird are side by side. In yet another variation, a Nahuatl hieroglyph for the personal name Miton appears in the Matrícula de Huexotzinco as simply an arrow, perhaps small, but it is difficult to discern the relative size.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image: 
Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription: 

mīn. miton.

Gloss/Text Normalization: 

Martín Miton

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
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Animals: Birds
Gender (male)
Mouth/Beak Open
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Weapons, Shields, Armor
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
facing left
profile view
Parts (compounds or simplex + notation): 
2
Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation): 
downward
Keywords: 

flechas, armas, guerra, pájaro, páj́aro, nombres de hombres, men’s names, fontismo

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

mi(tl), arrow, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/mitl
-ton(tli), little, diminutive in size, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tontli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

posiblemente, Flecha Pequeña

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 45v, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f98.item.zoom, accessed 25 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: 
dropped "n"
intrusive period
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Miton (Verg39r)

Miton (MH843v)