Tlilpotonqui (MH563v)

Tlilpotonqui (MH563v)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This black-line drawing of the compound glyph for the personal name Tlilpotonqui (“Sticky-Stinky Black Feather Ritual Device,” attested here as a man’s name) shows a round white down feather and below that a black ball that could be potonqui (sticky and stinky, possibly like rubber--compare the glyph for olli, rubber, below). The potonqui was probably used to attach the feathers to the ritual device.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

Tlilpotonqui has multiple possible translations. It was a priestly name that some say refers to black dust or a black stinky substance, apparently involving an adornment (perhaps a staff) that was glued with black feathers. See below for examples. The name was held by some illustrious figures, including Quetzalcoatl and the son of Tlacaelel and grandson of Huitzilihuitl. See the Online Nahuatl Dictionary for more information.

Magnus Pharao Hansen wrote this when trying to translate Tlilpotonqui (which he found in the Morelos census of 1544): "'he stinks black'?". See his blog at: http://nahuatlstudies.blogspot.com/2014/11/nahuatl-names-nahuatl-names-i.... That translation could work literally, but the ritual dimension seems important for clarifying that the reference is probably not to bodily odor.

See also the Yauhpotonqui glyph, below. This suggests a possible connection to incense offerings.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image:

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription:

ant^o tlilpotongui

Gloss Normalization:

Antonio Tlilpotonqui

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

phonetic dimensions

Syntax:

noun(s)

Writing Features:

compound fully phonographic

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Names (personal and/or theonym)

Religion (Indigenous)

Rubber

Sensory Perception

Writing, Literacy

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

black & white drawing (no color)

Shapes and Perspectives:

circle, circular or rounded

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

upward

Keywords:

black, negro, feathers, plumas, regalia, devices, nombres de hombres

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

tlilpotonqui, a personal name, a title, a priest who wore a feather adornment, or a rare bean, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlilpotonqui
tlil(li), black color, soot, ink,, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tlilli
potonqui, dusty or stinky, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/potonqui
potoni, dust, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/potonqui

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

(objeto ritual de plumas negras apestosas)

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Manuel Orozco y Berra, Historia antigua y de la conquista de México (1960, 403).

Image Source:

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 563v, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=206&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).

Orthography:

"g" for c, q, or x

Historical Contextualizing Image: