Tozan (MH515r)

Tozan (MH515r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing for the simplex glyph of the personal name Tozan (here, attested as a man's name) shows a gopher or a field mouse (tozan) in a bird's eye view with its head pointing upward. Its eyes are open. Its tail sticks out behind it. The fur is textured. The head is rounded with tiny ears.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The contextualizing image makes it clear that this name was changed both in the glyph and in the gloss, probably correcting some original error. A piece of paper appears to be glued over the original glyph, and the original gloss is crossed out.

A study of the tozan seems warranted. They might not all be gophers or field mice, but some of each. Our Online Nahuatl Dictionary includes suggestions for translating tozan both of these ways. The claws on this one may suggest a gopher, which is noted for its digging.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

matheo toçan

Gloss Normalization: 

Mateo Tozan

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla, Mexico

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Animals, incl. Birds, Bugs, Insects, Reptiles, etc.
Gender (male)
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
striped
pointed (see also spiky)
bird's eye view
Keywords: 

mice, gophers, ratones, taltuzas, animales, nombres de hombres

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

tozan, gopher or field mouse, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tozan

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

La Taltuza o La Rata de Campo

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 515r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=109&st=image

Image Source, Rights: 

This manuscript is hosted by the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library; used here with the Creative Commons, “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License” (CC-BY-NC-SAq 3.0).

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Tozan (MH490v)

Tozan (MH624v)

Tozan (MH642r)