Pinahuiztin (Verg40v)

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Pinahuiztin (perhaps “Omen Bugs”), which is attested here as a man’s name. The compound has three elements. One is a profile view of the bug (perhaps a beetle) that is called pinahuiztli, providing the logographic root of the name. The bug has a rounded back with black and white stripes. It has four visible legs and feet, and it has two antennae, curving over and downward. Above and to the right of the bug are four vertical, short, straight lines that represent the number four (nahui). This is a phonetic indicator that the middle of the name contains -nahui-. Perhaps it could also be a hint that the name includes a plural suffix -tin. Or perhaps the -tin is not represented visually. Finally, the third element of the compound is a stream of water (atl) with four short splashes, each one ending in a droplet or bead. The water also serves as a phonetic indicator or complement that the middle of the name has a syllable with the -a- vowel.