Tlilhua (MH499v)

Tlilhua (MH499v)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This simplex glyph for the personal name Tlilhua ("Possessor of Black" or "Possessor of Black Ink," attested here as a man’s name) shows three black (tlilli) blobs, perhaps meant to be ink. The -hua (possessor) suffix on the name is not shown visually. The gloss--if it is agreed to ignore the "n" of plural possession and just see -hua--accounts for the interpretation of the name "Possessor of Black" or of "Possessor of Black Ink."

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

One who possesses black ink could be a tlacuilo (painter/writer). But, according to the Florentine Codex (cited in the Gran Diccionario Náhuatl, https://gdn.iib.unam.mx/diccionario/tlilhua/73744) there was also a deity or divine force with the name Tlilhua. Perhaps this person was named for this deity.

The glyph for Tlilhua could be confused with Teconal, Olli, and Tlilpotonqui. See below.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

alosu
tlilhuā

Gloss Normalization: 

Alonso Tlilhua

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
possessive pronoun
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Color names
Gender (male)
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Occupations
Religion (Indigenous)
Technology (all types), plus Tools
Writing, Literacy
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black
Shapes and Perspectives: 
circle, circular or rounded
circle(s) (small, often concentric)
frontal view
tripartite
Keywords: 

black, negro, colors, colores

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

tlil(li), black the color, ink, or soot, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlilli
-hua, possession, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/hua

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Él Que Posee Tinta Negra

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 499v, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=78&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).

Orthography: 
"u" for o
dropped "n"
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

olli (Mdz70r)

Tlilpotonqui (MH573v)

Teconal (MH536r)

Tlilhua (MH630v)