Zolacatl (MH671v)

This black-line drawing of the compound glyph for the personal name Zolacatl (perhaps “Old Reed” or, if literal, “Quail Reed”) is attested here as a man’s name. The glyph shows the head of a quail (zolin) in profile, facing toward the viewer’s right. The quail could be serving as a literal element or as a phonetic indicator for something old (zoltic), perhaps an old reed. Coming out of the top of the quail’s head at the place of the crest and taking its place is a reed (acatl) with one long slender leaf. The reed or cane is segmented, something like bamboo (or carrizo, as some reeds are called in Spanish).