Tzihuacmitl (Verg26v)

Tzihuacmitl (Verg26v)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Tzihuacmitl, the name of an arrow made from an agave stalk. The name is attested here as a man’s name. The key elements are an arrow (with a point and fletching). In front of the arrow is either a tzihuactli (small agave plant with a flower stalk) or else a bone (omitl), which might serve as a near homophone for the arrow (mitl). Two other examples of Tzihuacmitl much like this one appear on folio 28 verso and 31 recto.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The name Tzihuacmitl appears at least four times in the Matrícula de Huexotzinco, so this Nahua name was shared across regions. In some cases, the agave flower stalk appears more like a tree (cuahuitl), which may represent the syllable hua (part of tzihuactli).

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

ytex ādres.çihuacmitl.

Gloss/Text Normalization:

itex [his brother-in-law, i.e. brother-in-law of the tribute payer] Andrés Tzihuacmitl

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:

homophony, rebus

personal name

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound fully logographic

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Gender (male)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Plants, Flora

Weapons, Shields, Armor

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

frontal view

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

front to back

Other Cultural Influences:

Spanish/European

Keywords:

flechas, agaves, flores, espigas, nombres de hombres, men’s names

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

tzihuacmi(tl), agave-stalk arrow, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tzihuacmitl
mi(tl), arrow or dart, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/mitl
tzihuac(tli), small agave plant with a spiny flower stalk, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tzihuactli
tex(tli), a brother-in-law, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/textli

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

(una flecha hecha de la espiga de flor de un agave pequeño)

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 26v, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f60.item.zoom, accessed 22 February 2026. The Vergara is associated with Tepetlaoztoc, in the larger region of Tetzcoco, c. 1539–1543.

Image Source, 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:

"y" for i

intrusive period

Historical Contextualizing Image: