Telpozaca (Verg44r)

Telpozaca (Verg44r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Telpozaca (perhaps “Young Man with Straw”), attested here as a man’s name. The compound has two main elements. One is a boy (telpochtli or telpocatl), standing in a profile, facing left. He holds out one visible arm, with something unidentifiable in his hand. This figure provides the Telpo- start to the name. The other element of the compound includes two sprigs of straw, hay, or grasses (zacatl). These bend at the top, curving downward. These contribute the -zaca end to the name.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Telpo and Telpoch are men’s names that already appear in this digital collection, but this is the first version (as of March 2026) that has the added element of zacatl. The translation of the name may require more investigation.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

a^ol. telpoçacan.

Gloss/Text Normalization:

Alonso Telpozaca

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 fully logographic

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Aging (People, Animals, Things)

Gender (male)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Plants, Flora

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

curving, curvy, curved

facing left

profile view

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

outward (from inside out)

Keywords:

nombres de hombres, men’s names, joven, hijo, mozo, heno, hierbas

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

telpoch(tli), a young man, a son, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/telpochtli
telpoca(tl), a young man, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/telpocatl
zaca(tl), straw, hay, grasses, weeds, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/zacatl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

posiblemente, Joven con Paja

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 44r, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f95.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:

"ç" for z or tz

intrusive "n"

intrusive period

Historical Contextualizing Image: