regarding: in nontlan in itzcatlan

[Ben Leeming]

amigos listeros/as,

In Garibay's "Historia de la literatura Náhuatl" he lists the difrasismo
"in nontlan in itzcatlan" and translates it as "lugar de mudez y frío =
región de los muertos."  He cites the Colloquios as the source (I don't
have access right now to the text or else I would check it, although a
keyword search on Google books didn't return either "nontlan" or
"itzcatlan"; anyone out there have it handy?).

The question of "nontlan" seems straight forward, from no:n-tli "someone
mute."  However, I'm struggling with "itzcatlan."  I am assuming that it
derives from i:tz-tli "obsidian" which in turn is at the root of i:tztic
"something cold" and i:tztiya "to get cold."  However, I'm wondering about
the -ca-.  Is this just Andrews' "obsolete noun stem *(ca:)-tl" which he
states is only found in combined forms?

As for the meaning, I get it (and I love it!)  However, has anyone
encountered this particular difrasismo in any sources other than the
Colloquios (if it's even there at all)?

Thanks,

Ben

-- 
Ben Leeming
PhD Student
Department of Anthropology
University at Albany, SUNY
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