xo (Mdz37r)

xo (Mdz37r)
Element from a Compound

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This element has been carved from the compound sign for the place name, Alahuiztlan. It is a black, downward-pointing footprint.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

There appears to be nothing in the place name that suggests a phonetic reading for this footprint, which could normally provide the sounds "xo" (foot), "pan" (on), "o" or "ot" (from otli, road, path, route), for examples. One question to pursue is whether there could be some Spanish-language influence here, whereby the "ala" start to the place name has been recognized as "a la" (to the), and the remainder of the place name possibly represents huitztlan (south). The foot would then convey the idea of going toward the south. Further analysis awaits.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Mendoza/Mendocino, Codex (Mdz)
Date of Manuscript: 

c. 1541, or by 1553 at the latest

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Mexico City

Syntax: 
xo syllable
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Anatomy, human body parts
Footprint(s), human
Colors: 
black
Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

xo-, an element with the sense of foot in compounds, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xo
xopil(li), the toes of the foot, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xopilli
icxopol(li), the sole of the foot, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/icxopolli
xocpal(li), the sole of the foot, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xocpalli
-pan (locative suffix), https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/pan
pano, to cross or cross over, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/pano

Image Source: 

Codex Mendoza, folio 37 recto, https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/2fea788e-2aa2-4f08-b6d9-648c00..., image 84 of 188.

Image Source, Rights: 

The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, hold the original manuscript, the MS. Arch. Selden. A. 1. This image is published here under the UK Creative Commons, “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License” (CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0).

See Also: 

Alahuiztlan (Mdz37r)