Cuaxochtli

[Michael McCafferty]

Wow!



Quoting "R. Joe Campbell" <campbel at indiana.edu>:

> Yukitaka,
> 
>      Prodded by questions and remarks from my wife (Mary Clayton),
> I recalled a verb that may be the key to answering part of your
> cuaxochtli problem.
> 
>      "xotla" is 'to cut', usually slicing or into strips.  "nitlalxotla"
> is 'amojonar o alindar terminos o eredades' (according to Molina).
> In Book 5, p. 169 of the Dibble and Anderson edition of the Florentine
> Codex, "quitlalxochilia" (with the /tl/ palatalized to 'ch') occurs,
> meaning 'he makes marks on the ground'.
> 
>      "xoch(tli) is apparently a patientive noun form derived from "xotla".
> 
> This palatalization of /tl/ is also seen in "xapochtic", derived from 
> "xapo(tl)-tla", the "-tla" being a transitive verb formative.
>      Molina gives:
> 
>      nitlaxapotla   abrir o horadar pared; agujerear; horadar o romper
>                     pared, seto o cosa semejante
>      nitexapotla    corromper virgen; desflorar; desuirgar
> 
>      The patientive noun "tlaxapochtli" is a hole and you even get
> "ninotlaxopochhuia" 'caer en hoyo. o abarrancarse'.
> 
> 
>      So "cuaxochtli" is apparently (I withhold the word 'obviously')
> a slice or division, modified by a "cua-" element.  ...and we are left
> to wonder "where have all the flowers gone?"
> 
> Saludos,
> 
> Joe
>