Tlilpotonqui (MH857r)

Tlilpotonqui (MH857r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Tlilpotonqui is attested here as a man's name. It shows two pieces of cord or the like, twisted or entwined with one another. It is reminiscent of malinalli in appearance, but the connection is elusive.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Most tlilpotonqui glyphs show objects that are black (given the start of the name, Tlil-), and yet this one does not. 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:

pa^o tlilpotoqui

Gloss Normalization:

Pablo 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

Gender (male)

Health, Medicine

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Religion (Indigenous)

Socio-Political Units, Cities, Towns, Neighborhoods

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

frontal view

tied, bound, or bundled

twisted or entwined

vertical, upright

Keywords:

black, negro, feathers, plumas, olor, huele, sacerdotes, frijol, 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

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

(objeto ritual de plumas negras apestosas)

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 857r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=403&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:

dropped "n"

Historical Contextualizing Image: