Tlaxcallan (Mdz42r)

The hand is a semantic indicator that clarifies that the tortilla (which is patted out with the hands) is indicated by the circle that is just larger than a hand in diameter. In some contexts, the hand could convey a phonetic "ma" (relating to hand, maitl, or the verb to take/grab/capture/hunt, ma. But this is not the case here. The hash marks on the tortilla are similar to the marks on ears of corn that can be seen in the thumbnail for cintli below. They may be iconographic for maize/corn--as opposed to flour, for example, which became a grain used for tortillas only after the introduction of wheat by Europeans. Of course, corn remained the favorite grain for tortillas in the central areas even after contact. The thrust of the place name is "Place of Many Tortillas." When combining tlaxcal- with -tlan, the latter changes to -lan to combine with the final "l" of the root, resulting in the double "l."