<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Oct 9, 2007, at 12:29 PM, David Wright wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> <DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><SPAN lang="ES-MX" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Regarding Fran's statement "In Milpa Alta the word has bifurcated, with the original form retaining its meaning of 'lord' and a spelling pronunciation based on tecuhtli having taken on the meaning of 'boss'": In the cassettes prepared by José Concepción Flores Arce (<SPAN class="171484015-09102007">"</SPAN><SPAN class="171484015-09102007">El </SPAN>Maestro Xochime<SPAN class="171484015-09102007">"</SPAN>) for <SPAN class="171484015-09102007">teaching </SPAN>Nahuatl, I hear [te:ku<SPAN class="171484015-09102007">?</SPAN>tli]. </SPAN></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>In my experience with M.A. Nahuatl, the labialized [kw] has simplified to [w], so te:uctli is pronounced [te:wtli] (the name of the local sacred mountain). The 'boss, bureaucrat' word derived from the spelling pronunciation is pronounced [te:kohtli] with the [h] here representing the local pronunciation of the glottal stop. But the o/u distinction being nonsignificant in most varieties of spoken Nahuatl, including M.A. as I know it, it might be pronounced more like [te:kuhtli].</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><SPAN lang="ES-MX" style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN class="171484015-09102007">In the accompanying book, in the vocabulary list, I find "<STRONG>tecu'tli</STRONG>, (<EM>sust</EM>.) dirigente, gobernante." I also see the root with the kw > k shift in the word "<STRONG>tecpampa</STRONG>, (<EM>sust</EM>.) palacio, oficina." </SPAN>El <SPAN class="171484015-09102007">M</SPAN>aestro Xochime is from Milpa Alta<SPAN class="171484015-09102007"> (in southeastern Mexico City)</SPAN>. I assume that th<SPAN class="171484015-09102007">e</SPAN> unusual (for a native speaker) pronunciation [te:ku<SPAN class="171484015-09102007">?</SPAN>tli]<SPAN class="171484015-09102007"> </SPAN><SPAN class="171484015-09102007">is </SPAN>the result of influence from Mexico City academics of the Garibay school. <SPAN class="171484015-09102007">Fran (or others): do you have any information or comments on this</SPAN><SPAN class="171484015-09102007">?</SPAN></SPAN></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It might well be. I just think of it as spelling pronunciation. The spelling "tecuhtli" managed to mislead Thelma Sullivan, who used the word in her Compendio as an example of how the -tli form of the absolutive suffix is used after saltillo (glottal stop). Perhaps this was inherited from her teacher, who was none other than Garibay.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>Fran<BR></BODY></HTML>