Huitzcuauhtzinco (RGTyM)

Huitzcuauhtzinco (RGTyM)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description:

This is a painting of the compound Nahuatl hieroglyph for the place name Huitzcuauhtzinco (perhaps "New Huitzcuauhtla"). The bottom of the compound is a tepetl (hill or mountain) glyph, which is not part of the name but serves as a visual locative. On top of the tepetl is a spiny tree (huitzcuahuitl), perhaps a hawthorn tree. Its trunk and spines are red, and it has blue, horizontal, bell-shaped fruit or flowers.

Description, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis:

The Washington Hawthorn has a dark reddish bark, according to the Utah State Extension website. The non-profit group called Planting Justice, describes the Blue Hawthorn as having blue fruit and a reddish-brown inner bark, so perhaps this one is a better match.

Added Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Gloss or Text Image:

Gloss/Text Diplomatic Transcription:

Sa miguel huitz
cuauhtzico

Gloss/Text Normalization:

San Miguel Huitzcuauhtzinco

Gloss/Text Analysis, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript:

Tistla y Muchitlan, RG Map of (RGTyM)

Date of Manuscript:

1582

Creator's Location (and place coverage):

Tzompanco (contemporary Zumpango del Río, Guerrero), with a connection to the Diocese of Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala

Semantic Categories:

place name

Writing Features:

compound fully logographic

Cultural Content & Iconography:

Landscape Features

Names (places)

Plants, Flora

Religion (Indigenous)

Socio-Political Units, Cities, Towns, Neighborhoods

Cultural Content, Credit:

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors:

blue (turquoise)

red

Shapes and Perspectives:

spiky

vertical, upright

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation):

Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation):

multidirectional

Keywords:

árboles, espinas, topónimos, nombres de lugares, pueblos, estancias, nombres de lugares

Glyph or Iconographic Image:

Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s):

huitzcuahui(tl), a spiny tree, possibly a hawthorn, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/huitzcuahuitl
cuahui(tl), tree, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/cuahuitl
huitz(tli), thorns, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/huitztli
-tzinco, locative suffix, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/tzinco

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation:

Nuevo Huitzcuauhtla

Spanish Translation, Credit:

Stephanie Wood

Image Source:

The source of these hieroglyphs is a manuscript and map known collectively as the “Relación de Tistla y Muchitlan,” also known as the “Descripción de la Alcaldia Mayor de las Minas de Zumpango.” Apparently, these towns (today spelled Tixtla and Mochitlan) are in the modern-day state of Guerrero, but they fell under the religious jurisdiction of the Diocese of Tlaxcala. Thanks go to Octavio Márquez for his contribution of the glyph, gloss, and contextualizing images.

Image Source, Rights:

The original manuscript is hosted on line as part of the Benson Latin American Collection, The General Libraries, University of Texas at Austin, https://collections.lib.utexas.edu/catalog/utblac:fbc92b3e-bb28-4258-975.... It is open-access.

Orthography:

dropped "n"

Historical Contextualizing Image: