Teahuiltin (Verg41r)

Teahuiltin (Verg41r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Teahuiltin (perhaps “Playful People”), which is attested here as a man’s name. The compound includes two phonetic elements, the syllables Te- (from tentli, lips) and -a- (from atl, water), which provides the start to the name Tea-. The remaining element is a logogram for play or frivolity (ahuilli), showing two people sitting, facing each other, with arms raised and joined. This appears to be a man in a long belted gown and a small child wearing only a loincloth.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The two people seem to be having fun, but there could be something untoward happening. In some contexts, ahuiliztli indicates sexual pleasure, but this is difficult to assert here. Two compounds for the toponym Ahuilizapan show men raising their arms while standing in water, as though raising the arms in that way suggests “joy.” The raising of arms here may support a similar reading.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

miguel. teahuiltin.

Gloss/Text Normalization:

Miguel Teahuiltin

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)

pluralization (textual)

syllable: a/atl (from atl)

syllable: te/ten/teo (from tentli/lips)

Writing Features:

compound of phonogram(s) & logogram(s)

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Anatomy, human body parts

Body postures

Emotions

Gender (male)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Water

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

facing left

facing right

profile view

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

upward

Keywords:

emotion, labios, agua, jugar, frivolidad, nombres de hombres, men’s names, fonetismo

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

ten(tli), lips, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tentli
a(tl), water, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/atl
ahuil(li), play, frivolity, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/ahuilli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Gente Juguetona

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 41r, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f89.item.zoom, accessed 14 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:

intrusive period

Historical Contextualizing Image: