Xilotl (MH633r)

Xilotl (MH633r)
Simplex Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This black-line drawing of the simplex glyph for the personal name Xilotl ("Tender Ear of Maize") is attested here as pertaining to a woman. The maize ear is still covered by its husk, and silk emerges at the top. A leaf cradles the ear. The stalk is upright.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The term and name Xilotl is much more common than Elotl in this collection. Perhaps the name Xilotl, which refers to the corn cob that was still forming kernels, was more akin to a new baby (as a metaphor) than Elotl, which had already formed its kernels.

At the top of the stalk in this glyph there is a hint of a "nen" sign, which would make this name actually Xilonen, the female divinity associated with new corn. See the example of Coanen, below. If this is really Xilonen, then it is a compound that is partially phonographic.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

magtalena
xilutl

Gloss Normalization: 

Magdalena Xilotl

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

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

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Semantic Categories: 
personal name
phonetic possibilities
Syntax: 
noun(s)
Writing Features: 
simplex or element as logogram
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Corn, Maize
Food, Eating, Cooking
Gender (female)
Metaphors, Proverbs, Riddles
Names (personal and/or theonym)
Plants, Flora
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
frontal view
vertical, upright
Keywords: 

jilote, elote, maíz, comida, nombres de mujeres, viudas, viejas

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

xilo(tl), tender ear of maize, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/xilotl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

Mazorca Tierna, Jilote, Elote

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 633r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=348st=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: 
"t" for d
"u" for o
Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

xilotl (Mdz26r)

Xilotl (MH507v)

Xilotl (MH524v)

Xilotl (MH600r)

Coanen (MH633v)