Quecholomi (Verg26r)

Quecholomi (Verg26r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Quecholomi (with some connection to the Roseate Spoonbill and its pink or feathers), attested here as a man’s name. This compound has three elements: the head of the bird (quecholli), a road (otli), and an arrow (mitl). The first element seems to have a semantic value, whereas the other two are purely phonetic indicators.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Another Quecholomi from this manuscript (on 24 recto) has only the head of the bird and a cluster of feathers. Neither one is overtly about bones (omitl). This is true, too, of the three examples of the name or its variant (with the absolutive), which are either about the bird or its feathers.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

mīn. quecholomi

Gloss/Text Normalization:

Martín Quecholomi

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

phonetic dimensions

Syntax:

noun(s)

syllable: mi (from mitl, arrow)

syllable: o (from otli, road)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Animals: Birds

Footprint(s), human

Gender (male)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Transportation, Travel, Roads

Weapons, Shields, Armor

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

facing right

profile view

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

multidirectional

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

pájaro, pájaros, pluma, plumas rojas, hueso, huesos, rojo, fonetismo, nombres de hombres, men’s names

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

quecholomi(tl), (referring to the Roseate Spoonbill and its pink or feathers), https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/quecholomitl
quechol(li), the Roseate Spoonbill or its red/pink feathers, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/quecholli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

(un nombre que tiene algo que ver con la Espátula Rosada)

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 26r, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f29.item.zoom, accessed 22 February 2026. The Vergara is associated with Tepetlaoztoc, in the larger region of Tetzcoco, c. 1539–1543.

Image Source, 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/.

Historical Contextualizing Image: