Tlilpotonqui (MH488r)

Tlilpotonqui (MH488r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Tlilpotonqui (a "Stinky-Sticky Black Feather Ritual Device," attested here as a man's name) shows a staff at an angle, leaning to the right. It may have small black feathers along the top of the stick, attached to it by some kind of stinky (potonqui) and sticky substance--perhaps rubber?

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Magnus Pharao Hansen wrote this when trying to translate Tlilpotonqui (which he found in the Morelos census of 1544): "'he stinks black'?". [See his blog.) That translation could work literally, but the ritual dimension seems important for clarifying that the reference is probably not to bodily odor. Tlilpotonqui was a priestly name that some say refers to black dust or a black stinky substance, apparently involving an adornment (perhaps a staff) that was glued with black feathers. See below for other examples. The name was held by some illustrious figures, including Quetzalcoatl and Miguel Tlilpotonqui, son of Tlacaelel and grandson of Huitzilihuitl. Tlilpotonqui could also refer to a child born outside of marriage. See the Online Nahuatl Dictionary for more information.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

diego tlilpotogui

Gloss Normalization:

Diego Tlilpotonqui

Gloss Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)

Date of Manuscript:

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories:

personal name

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

simplex or element as logogram

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Anatomy, human body parts

Feathers

Health, Medicine

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Religion (Indigenous)

Rubber

Cultural Content, Credit:

Xitlali Torres

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

diagonal or angled

Keywords:

black, negro, feathers, plumas, olor, odor, nombres de hombres

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

tlilpotonqui, a personal name, a title, a priest who wore a feather adornment, or a rare bean, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlilpotonqui
tlil(li), black color, soot, ink,, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlilli
potonqui, dusty or stinky, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/potonqui
potoni, dust, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/potonqui

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

(objeto ritual de plumas negras apestosas)

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Manuel Orozco y Berra, Historia antigua y de la conquista de México (1960, 403).

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 488r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=55&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:

"g" for c, q, or x

dropped "h"

Historical Contextualizing Image: