Xaloztoc (Mdz24v)

Xaloztoc (Mdz24v)
Compound Glyph

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This compound glyph for the place name Xaloztoc has two crucial elements: first (phonetically) some sand (xalli), shown as a group of black dots, and then an earth monster's head with his jaws open in order to represent a cave (oztotl). The earth monster's head is like a tepetl (hill, mountain) on its side, with the red and yellow slits at the bottom opening as a mouth. The head has the same two-tone green coloring and the curling rocky outcroppings. The face is multi-colored, with turquoise blue on its nose and the surround for its (open) eye. The lining of the mouth is yellow. The teeth or fangs are white and sharp, with red (gums?) at the base. The locative suffix (-c) is not shown visually.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

If we imagine the tepetl (hill, mountain), with its red and yellow horizontal lines at its base, turned on its side, and that two-colored slit opening up like a mouth, we can understand better the meaning of those lines at the base of the tepetl. See also the article on red and yellow interiors.

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Image: 
Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

xaloztoc.puo

Gloss Normalization: 

Xaloztoc, pueblo

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Date of Manuscript: 

c. 1541, or by 1553 at the latest

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Mexico City

Semantic Categories: 
Syntax: 
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Parts (compounds or simplex + notation): 
Reading Order (Compounds or Simplex + Notation): 
Keywords: 

arena, cuevas

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

Codex Mendoza, folio 24 verso, https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/2fea788e-2aa2-4f08-b6d9-648c00..., image 59 of 188.

Image Source, Rights: 

The Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, hold the original manuscript, the MS. Arch. Selden. A. 1. This image is published here under the UK Creative Commons, “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License” (CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0).