Xomeyocan (Mdz29r)

The footprints represent the noun for road (otli), providing a phonetic value for the "yo" element, which refers to a place that has a "lot of" something or is "full of" something. This differs from the footprint on top of a hill, which more typically indicates the verb pano (to cross over), providing the phonetic value of the locative suffix -pan, such as can also be seen in the compound glyphs for Tlaltizapan, Ocpayocan, Xomeyocan, and Xocoyocan. [See Gordon Whittaker Deciphering Aztec Hieroglyphs, 2021, 100.]

Footprint glyphs have a wide range of translations. In this collection, so far, we can attest to yauh, xo, pano, -pan, paina, temo, nemi, quetza, otli, iyaquic hualiloti, huallauh, tetepotztoca, totoco, -tihui, and the vowel "o." Other research (Herrera et al, 2005, 64) points to additional terms, including: choloa, tlaloa, totoyoa, eco, aci, quiza, maxalihui, centlacxitl, and xocpalli.

The elder tree (xometl) could be sufficient as a clue to the place name, but the added elements in the compound appear to be phonetic complements (xo + ma) to help the viewer reach the reading of "xome". The -e and the -a can be interchangeable, such as we see in the verb pia (to have/keep), which is sometimes spelled piye.

A hand in this activity could be read to capture or take, (ma), which really just underlines the phonetic reading of the "me" in the place name.