MEXICO, 83, 123. Name of the town and state otherwise called
Tenochtitlan. _Mexitl_ was one of the names of the national god
Huitzilopochtli, and Mexico means "the place of Mexitl," indicating
that the city was originally called from a fane of the god.
MICTLAN, 95, 117, 119. The Mexican Hades, literally, "the place of
the dead."
MONTEZUMA, 14, 41, 113. The name of the ruler of Mexico on the
arrival of Cortes. The proper form is _Moteuhzomatzin_ or
_Motecuhzomatzin_, and the meaning, "he who is angry in a noble
manner." ("señor sañudo," _Cod. Ramirez_, p. 72; "qui se fache en
seigneur," Siméon, _Dict. de la Langue Nahuatl_, s. v.).
MOQUIHUIX, 33. The fourth ruler of Tlatilolco. He assumed the power
in 1441, according to some writers (Bustamente, _Tezcoco, en los
Ultimas Tiempos de sus Antiguos Reyes_, p. 269). The name probably
means "He who comes forth a freeman." See Ixtlilxochitl, _Historia
Chichimeca_, caps. 36, 51.
NACXITL TOPILTZIN, 105, 107. Nacxitl, "the four footed" (_nahui,
ixitl_), was the name of one of the gods of the merchants (Sahagun,
_Hist, de Nueva España_, Lib. I, c. 19). In the song it is applied to
Quetzalcoatl, who was also regarded as a guardian of merchants.
NAHUATL, (9, etc.). A term applied to the language otherwise known as
Aztec or Mexican. As an adjective it means "well-sounding," or,
pleasant to the ear. From this, the term _Nahua_ is used collectively
for all tribes who spoke the Nahuatl tongue. _Nahuatl_ also means
clever, skillful, and the derivation is probably from the root _na_,
to know.
NECAXECMITL, 46. Name of uncertain meaning of a person otherwise
unknown.
NEZAHUALCOYOTL, 35, 67, 119. Chief of the Acolhuas, and ruler in
Tezcuco from 1427 to 1472, or thereabouts. He was a distinguished
patron of the arts and a celebrated poet. See p. 35, et seq.
NEZAHUALPILLI, or NEZAHUALPIZINTLI, 14, 125. Ruler of Acolhuacan, son
of Nezahualcoyotl. His accession is dated in 1470 or 1472.
NONOHUALCO, 105, 125. Name of one of the quarters of the ancient city
of Mexico; also of a mountain west of the valley of Mexico. The
derivation is probably from _onoc_, to lie down; _onohua_, to sleep;
_onohuayan_, a settled spot, an inhabited place. The _co_ is a
postposition.
NOPAL or NOPALTZIN, 46. Ruler of Acolhuacan, A. D. 1260-1263,
according to some chronologies. The name is from _nopalli_, the
cactus or opuntia.
NOPILTZIN, 67, 91. "My son," or "my lord," a term of deference
applied to superiors, from _pilli_, which means son and also lord,
like the old English _child_. Cf. _Topiltzin_.
OTOMIS, 16, 49, 58, 64, 71, 95. A nation which inhabited a portion of
the valley of Mexico and region adjacent, entirely dissimilar in
language and appearance from the Nahuas. The etymologies suggested
are unsatisfactory.
POPOCATEPETL, 46. "The smoking mountain," the name of a famous
volcano rising from the valley of Mexico.
POYAUHTECATL, 105. A volcano near Orizaba (Sahagun. _Hist. de Nueva
España_, Lib. I, cap. 21). Derived from _poyaua_, to color, to
brighten.
QUANTZINTECOMATZIN, 41. A warrior not otherwise known. The name is a
double reverential, from _quani_, eater, and _tecomatl_, vase, "The
noble eater from the royal dish."
QUAUHQUECHOLLAN, 95. A village and plain near the southern base of
Popocatepetl. It means "the place of the quechol woods," or the trees
among which quechol birds are found. See Motolinia, _Historia de los
Indios_, Trat. III, cap. 18.
QUAUHXILOTL, 89. Name of a large tree, and applied to a warrior,
ruler of Iztapallocan, whom Ixtlilxochitl, King of Tezcuco, placed at
the head of his troops in his war with Tezozomoc. See Clavigero,
_Storia Antica di Messico_, Tom. I, p. 185.
QUETZALCOATL, 32, 143, 144. See note on p. 143.
QUETZALMAMATZIN, 91. Name of a warrior, "the noble one of the
beautiful hands" (_quetzalli, mama_, pl. of _maitl_, and rev. term,
_tzin_). Perhaps the same as Quetzalmemalitzin, ruler of Teotihuacan,
mentioned by Ixtlilxochitl, _Historia Chichimeca_, cap. 35.
QUIAUHTZIN, 93. Name of a warrior, "The noble rain" (_quiauitl,
tziri_).
TENOCHTITLAN, 85. The current name for the City of Mexico; literally,
"at the stone-nopal," from _tetl_, stone, _nochtli_, nopal, and
postpos., _tlan_. The term refers to an ancient tradition.
TEPANECAS or TECPANECAS, 35. A powerful nation of Nahuatl lineage,
who dwelt in the valley of Mexico. They were destroyed in 1425 by the
Acolhuas and Mexicans, and later the state of Tlacopan was formed
from their remnants. Comp. probably from _tecpan_, a royal residence,
with the gentile termination.
TEPEYACAC, TEPEYACAN, 93. From _tepetl_, mountain, _yacatl_, nose,
point, and postpos, _c_. 1. A small mountain on which the celebrated
church of the Virgin of Guadalupe now stands. 2. A large town and
state subject to ancient Mexico, now Tepeaca in the province of
Puebla.
TETLAPAN QUETZANITZIN, 68, 69. A ruler of Tlatilolco, contemporary of
the conquest. See Note to Song VI.
TETZCOCO, now TEZCUCO, 14, 35, 36, 77. Capital city of Acolhuacan,
and residence of Nezahualcoyotl. It has been called "the Athens of
Anahuac." The derivation of the name is from a plant called
_tetzculli_ (_Cod. Ramirez_).
TEZOZOMOC, TEZOZOMOCTLI, 35, 39, 67, 88, 89. A ruler of the
Tepanecas, celebrated for his warlike skill and severity. His death
is placed in the year 1427. The name, like Montezuma, is derived from
_zoma_, to be angry, in this case from the reduplicated frequentative
form, _zozoma_.
TIZATLAN, 103. "The place of white varnish" (_tizatl_), the name of
one of the four quarters of the city of Tlascala.
TLACOMIHUATZIN, 93. "The noble cousin of the lynx" (_tlacomiztli_,
lynx, huan, postpos., denoting affinity, _tzin_, reverential). The
name of a warrior.
TLACOPAN, now TACUBA, 135. A small state west of Mexico and subject
to it, built up on the ruins of the ancient Tepanecas. Comp. from
_tlacotli_, a slave.
TLAHUICAN, 118. A Nahuatl province south of the valley of Mexico, so
called from the cinnabar, _tlahuitl_, there obtained (Buschmann; but
the _Cod. Ramirez_ gives the meaning "toward the earth," from
_tlalli_ and _huic_). [*Transcriber's note: TLAHUICAN not found in
text. See Tlahuica in Vocabulary.]
TLAILOTLACAN, 140. One of the seven divisions of the city of Tezcuco
(_Ixtlilxochitl_, _Hist. Chichimeca_, cap. 38). [*Transcriber's note:
TLAILOTLACAN not found in text.]
TLAILOTLAQUI, 84. Literally, "workers in refuse," or "scavengers."
Said by M. Aubin to have been a tribe who settled in Tezcuco in the
reign of Quinantzin. The term is apparently one of contempt.
[*Transcriber's note: TLAILOTLAQUI not found on page 84 in text. See
Tlailotlaqui in Vocabulary.]
TLALMANALCO, 42. A village near the foot of the volcano Popocatepetl.
Derived from _tlalmanalli_, level ground, with postpos. _co_.
TLALNAHUACATL, 89. "Dweller on the land;" name of a warrior.
TLALOC, 45. God of rain and the waters; a famous divinity among the
ancient Mexicans. The word means "stretched on the earth," and the
idol of the god represented a man extended on his back holding a
vase.
TLAPALLAN, 105. A mythical land from which the Toltecs were fabled to
have come and to which Quetzalcoatl returned. The derivation is from
_tlapalli_, color, especially red.
TLATETOLCO, TLATILULCO, 33, 83, 85. A suburb of the ancient city of
Mexico, founded in 1338; from _tlatelli_, a mound, _ololoa_, to make
round, the sense being "an island." See Motolinia, _Historia de los
Indios_, Trat. III, cap. 7.
TLAXCALLAN, now TLASCALA, 89, 93, 103. "The place of bread," from
_tlaxcalli_, bread. Site of a warlike tribe of Nahuatl descent, east
of the valley of Mexico.
TLATZIN, 46. Chief of a town of the Chichimecs, situated on Lake
Chalco. He flourished toward the close of the 14th century. From
_tlatli_, a falcon.
TOCHIN, 89. From _tochtli_, rabbit; name of the brother of the
Tezcucan ruler Quinantzin, and of many other personages.
TOLLAN, or TULAN, 46, 105, 107. The ancient mythical capital of the
Toltecs. The common derivation from _tolin_, a rush, is erroneous.
The name is a syncopated form of _tonatlan_, "the place of the sun."
TOLTEC, properly TOLTECATL, 46, 111. An inhabitant of Tollan. The
Toltecs were a mythical people, whose civilization was supposed to
have preceded that of the Aztecs.
TOPILTZIN, 46, 105. "Our son" or "Our lord" (see Nopiltzin). The term
was especially applied to Quetzalcoatl, q. v. See Orozco y Berra,
_Hist. Antig. de Mexico_, Tom. III, p. 54.
TOTOQUILHUATLI, 41. From _totoquilia_, to act as agent or lieutenant.
Ruler of Tlacopan. The verse of the song in which this name occurs is
given in the original Nahuatl by Ixtlilxochitl, who says it was very
popular throughout New Spain. See his _Historia Chichimeca_, cap. 32.
XICALANCO, 107. A locality on the borders of the province Tabasco.
The people spoke Nahuatl. Deriv. _xicalli_, gourd or jar, and
postpos. _co_.
XICOMATZINTLAMATA, 43. Name of a warrior not otherwise known. The
compound seems to mean "skillful with angry hand" (_xicoa, maitl,
tlamati_).
XICONTECATL, 103. Name of several distinguished Tlascalan warriors,
lords of Tizatlan. See Clavigero, _Hist. Antica di Messico_, Tom.
III, pp. 38 and 40, One was a favorite of Nezahualcoyotl. See
Ixtlilxochitl, _Historia Chichimeca_, cap. 40.
XIUHTEUCTLI, 15. The god of fire, literally, "the lord of the year,"
or "of the foliage."
XIUHTZAL, 46. A queen of ancient Tollan, said by Clavigero to have
ruled from A. D. 979 to 984. Other writers give the name more
correctly Xiuhtlaltzin, "Lady of the Green Fields," and place her
death in 987. (Orozco y Berra, _Hist. Antig. de Mexico_, Tom. III, p.
45.)
XOLOTL, 46. An early if not the first king of the Chichimecs. His
death occurred in 1232.
YOHUALLATONOC, 89. "Shining at night." Name of a warrior.
YOPICO, 22. A division of the ancient city of Mexico, containing a
temple of this name. The word means "the place of the tearing out of
hearts" (_yolltol, pi, co_), from the form of sacrifice there carried
out.
YOYONTZIN, 35, 40, 66, 67. A name of Nezahualcoyotl. See p. 35.