Tonatiuh (TR46r)

Tonatiuh (TR46r)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This compound glyph has two elements. One is a sun (tonatiuh) in a European style, with a center and many golden rays of sunshine radiating around the center. At the center, interestingly, is the second element, a frontal view of a human face with a large nose, perhaps the face of the Spaniard Pedro de Alvarado (whom the Nahuas called "Tonatiuh"). His skin tone is pink. His hair is brown. He has a light green collar around his neck.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The contextualizing image shows that this name glyph is attached to the head of a Spaniard, and the figure is glossed, "Pedro de Alvarado," and the glyph is glossed, "Sol."

Some Nahuatl hieroglyphs for Spaniards are fascinating for their considerable use of phonograms. But this glyph does not have phonetic qualities. Marc Zender (2018, 30) discusses this glyph.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

sol

Source Manuscript: 
Telleriano-Remensis, Codex (TR)
Date of Manuscript: 

1578

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
compound fully logographic
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Anatomy, human body parts
Celestial Phenomena
Gender (male)
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Religion (Indigenous Christianity)
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
brown
green (light)
pink
yellow or golden
Shapes and Perspectives: 
circle, circular or rounded
frontal view
pointed (see also spiky)
spiky
Other Cultural Influences: 
Spanish/European
Keywords: 

Spanish names, nombres de españoles, suns, soles, Spaniards

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

Tonatiuh, the sun; a day, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tonatiuh

Additional Scholars' Interpretations: 

Marc Zender (2018, 30) analyzes this as: glyphic TONA, tōna[tiw].

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

El Sol

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

The Codex Telleriano-Remensis is hosted on line by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8458267s/f117.item. We have taken this detail shot from the indicated folio.

Image Source, Rights: 

This manuscript is not copyright protected, but please cite Gallica, the digital library of the Bibliothèque nationale de France or cite this Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, ed. Stephanie Wood (Eugene, Ore.: Wired Humanities Projects, 2020–present).

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

español (Chav1)