ACOLMIZTLI, 35. A name of Nezahualcoyotl (see p. 35), also of other
warriors.
ANAHUAC, 125. From _atl_, water, _nahuac_, by, = the land by the
water. The term was applied first to the land by the lakes in the
Valley of Mexico, and later to that along both the Gulf of Mexico and
the Pacific Ocean.
ATECPAN, 77. "The royal residence by the water" (_atl, tecpan_). I do
not find this locality mentioned elsewhere.
ATLIXCO, 125. "Where the water shows its face" (_atl, ixtli, co_). A
locality southeast of Tezcuco, near the lake, so called from a large
spring. See Motolinia, _Historia de los Indios_, Trat. III, cap. 18.
ATLOYANTEPETL, 85, 89, 91. Perhaps for _atlauantepetl_, "the mountain
that rules the waters." But see note to XIII, v. 6.
ATZALAN, 114. "Amid the waters" (_atl, tzalan_). Perhaps not a proper
name; but two villages in the present State of Puebla are called
Atzala (see Orozco y Berra, _Geografia de las Lenguas de Mexico_, pp.
212, 213).
AXAXACATZIN, 43. Probably for _axayacatzin_, reverential of
_axayacatl_, the name of a species of marsh fly. It was also the name
of the sixth ruler of Mexico (flor. about 1500), and doubtless of
other distinguished persons. See Ixtlilxochitl, _Historia
Chichimeca_, cap. 51.
AZCAPOTZALCO, 50, 51. An ancient town in the valley of Mexico, once
the capital city of the Tepanecas (q. v.). The word means "place of
the ant-hills," from _azcaputzalli_.
AZTECS, 25. A Nahuatl tribe who derived their name from their
mythical ancient home, Aztlan. The derivation is obscure, but
probably is from the same radical as _iztac_, white, and, therefore,
Father Duran was right in translating Aztlan, "place of whiteness,"
the reference being to the East, whence the Aztecs claim to have
come. See Duran, _Historia de las Indias_, cap. II.
CACAMATL, 94, 95. The reference appears to be to Cacamatzin (the
_Noble Sad One_, from _cacamaua_, fig. to be sad), last ruler of
Tezcuco, son and successor, in 1516, of Nezahualpilli. He was put to
death by Cortes.
CATOCIH, 89. A doubtful word, which may not be a proper name.
CHALCO, 16, 69, 95. A town and lake in the valley of Mexico. The
people were Nahuas and subject to Mexico. The word is probably
derived from _Challi_, with the postpos. _co_, meaning "at the mouth"
(of a river). See Buschmann, _Ueber die Aztekischen Ortsnamen_, s.
689, and comp. _Codex Ramirez_, p. 18.
CHIAPA, CHIAPANECA, 70, 71. The province and inhabitants of Chiapas,
in Southern Mexico. There were colonies of Nahuas in Chiapas, though
most of the natives spoke other tongues. The derivation is probably
from _chia_, a mucilaginous seed highly esteemed in Mexico.
CHICHIMECATL or CHICHIMECS, 88, 89, 91, 101. A rude hunting tribe,
speaking Nahuatl, who settled, in early times, in the valley of
Mexico. The name was said to be derived from _chichi_, a dog, on
account of their devotion to hunting (_Cod. Ramirez_). Others say it
was that of their first chieftain.
CHICOMOZTOC, 88, 89. "At the seven caves," the name of the mythical
locality from which the seven Nahuatl tribes derived their origin.
The _Codex Ramirez_ explains the seven caves to mean the seven houses
or lineages (totems) of which the nation consisted.
CHILILITLI, 36. Name of a tower of sacred import. It is apparently a
compound of _chia_ or _chielia_, to watch, and _tlilli_, blackness,
obscurity, hence "a night watch-tower." It was probably used for the
study of the sky at night.
CHIMALPOPOCA, 43. "The smoking shield," from _chimalli_, shield, and
_popoca_. The name of several distinguished warriors and rulers in
ancient Mexico.
CHOLULA or CHOLOLLAN, 105. Name of a celebrated ancient state and
city. From _choloa_, with the probable meaning, "place of refuge,"
"place of the fugitives."
CIHUAPAN, 41. Name of a warrior, otherwise unknown. From _cihuatl_,
woman, _pan_, among, with.
COATZITEUCTLI, 89. A name compound of _coatzin_, reverential form of
_coatl_, serpent, and _teuctli_, lord.
COLHUA, A people of Nahuatl affinity, who dwelt in ancient times in
the valley of Mexico. See _Colhuacan_.
COLHUACAN, 88, 89, 91. A town in the valley of Mexico. In spite of
the arguments to the contrary, I believe the Colhua were of Nahuatl
lineage, and that the name is derived from _colli_, ancestor;
_colhuacan_, the residence of the ancestors; with this signification,
it was applied to many localities. It must be distinguished from
_Acolhuacan_. Its ikonomatic symbol was a hill bent over at the top,
from _coloa_, to bend.
COLZAZTLI, 39. Probably for Coltzatztli, one who cries out or calls
to the ancestors (_colli, tzatzia_). A chief whom I have not found
elsewhere mentioned.
CONAHUATZIN, 41. A warrior not elsewhere mentioned. By derivation it
means "noble son of the lord of the water" (_conetl, ahua, tzin_).
CUETZPALTZIN, 89. A proper name, from _cuetzpalli_, the 4th day of
the month.
CUEXTLA, 33. A province of ancient Mexico. See Torquemada, _Monarquia
Indiana_. Lib. II, caps. 53, 56.
CULTEPEC, 42. A village five leagues from Tezcuco, at the foot of the
mountains. Deriv., _colli_, ancestor, _tepetl_, mountain or town,
with post-pos. _c_; "at the town of the ancestors."
HUETLALPAN or HUETLAPALLAN, 89. The original seat of the mythical
Toltecs. The name is a compound of _hue_, old, and _Tlapallan_, q. v.
HUEXOTZINCO, 50, 83, 91, 99, 113. An independent State of ancient
Anahuac, south of Tlascala and west of Cholula. The name means "at
the little willow woods," being a diminutive from _huexatla_, place
of willows.
HUITLALOTZIN, 89. From _huitlallotl_, a species of bird, with the
reverential termination. Name of a warrior.
HUITZILAPOCHTLI, 16. Tribal god of the Mexicans of Tenochtitlan. The
name is usually derived from _huitzitzilin_, humming bird, and
_opochtli_, left (_Cod. Ramirez_, p. 22), but more correctly from
_huitztli_, the south, _iloa_, to turn, _opochtli_, the left hand,
"the left hand turned toward the south," as this god directed the
wanderings of the Mexicans southward. The humming bird was used as
the "ikonomatic" symbol of the name.
HUITZILIHUITL, 89. "Humming-bird feather." Name of an ancient ruler
of Mexico, and of other warriors.
HUITZNAHUACATL, 91. A ruler of Huexotlan (Clavigero); a member of the
Huitznahua, residents of the quarters so called in Tezcuco and
Tenochtitlan (Ixtlilxochitl, _Hist. Chichimeca_, cap. 38).
IXTLILXOCHITL, 35, 46, 89. A ruler of Acolhuacan, father of
Nezahualcoyotl. Comp. _ixtli_, face, _tlilxochitl_, the vanilla
(literally, the black flower).
IZTACCOYOTL, 89, 93. "The white wolf." Name of a warrior otherwise
unknown.