Nentequitl (MH884r)

Nentequitl (MH884r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the compound glyph for the personal name Nentequitl ("Labor in Vain") is attested here as a man's name. The glyph shows a nenetl (deity image or doll) holding an agricultural tool or an obsidian blade. The doll is dressed in a skirt and has two squared-off protrusions on its head, which could symbolize the neaxtlahualli hairstyle of women. The doll holds the digging stick at an angle across its body.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The black tool the female figurine holds recalls two things, one phonetic and one logographic. The color and rectangular shape suggest an obsidian blade, which is used to cut (tequi). For a photo of a cache of obsidian from c. 1400 in Tlatelolco, see this INAH link. But the way it is being held, it is reminiscent of the huictli, an agricultural tool and symbol of work (tequitl). So, this compound glyph could be partially or fully phonographic.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

p^o. nēteq~tl

Gloss Normalization:

Pedro Nentequitl

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

phonetic dimensions

phonetic possibilities

Syntax:

hua (from huahuana, two vertical lines)

ne or nen syllable

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Children, Childhood, Adolescence

Gender (female)

Gender (male)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Personality, Behavior

Religion (Indigenous)

Toys

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

diagonal or angled

frontal view

Keywords:

work, trabajo, labor, laboral, flojo, flojería, cut, cortar, obsidian blade, hoja de obsidiana, deity, ixiptla, deidades, deities, statues, estatuas, esculturas, nombres de hombres

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

nenca, to be idle, without profit, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nenca
nencauh, a servant, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nencauh
nene(tl), a doll or a deity image, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nenetl
nen-, in vain, uselessly, for nothing, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/nen

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Desempleada, o Inactiva

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 884r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=840&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: