Xochitepetl (Verg43v)

Xochitepetl (Verg43v)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This compound Nahuatl hieroglyph is a black-line drawing of the personal name Xochitepetl (“Flower-Hill”), which sounds more like a place name but is attested here as a man’s name. The compound has two parts. At the top is a flower (xochitl), with a three-part base and three visible petals.The petals are closed. Below the flower is a small, bell-shaped sign for a hill or mountain (tepetl).

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

While there are no other personal names of this sort, three place names in this digital collection are for Xochitepec. See below.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

juā xochitepetl.

Gloss/Text Normalization:

Juan Xochitepetl

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:

personal name

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound fully logographic

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Flowers

Gender (male)

Landscape Features

Names (men's, but w/ female dimension)

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

bell-shaped (upright)

frontal view

tripartite

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

downward

Keywords:

flores, montañas, cerro, cerros, nombres de hombres, men’s names

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

xochi(tl), flower, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xochitl
tepe(tl), hill or mountain, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tepetl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

posiblemente, Flor-Montaña

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

Available at Codex Vergara, folio 43r, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84528032/f94.item.zoom, accessed 25 March 2026 The Vergara is associated with Tepetlaoztoc, in the larger region of Tetzcoco, c. 1539–1543. “Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF.” We would also appreciate a citation to the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, https://aztecglyphs.wired-humanities.org/.

Image Source, Rights:

Image 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:

intrusive period

Historical Contextualizing Image: