Nahuatl Query: Nahui Olin

galen brokaw gbrokaw at indiana.edu
Tue Mar 23 15:32:34 UTC 1999


Matt,
I may have spoken too soon about the double l. Joe Campbell has pointed
out to me that the issue is not clear-cut. So let me pull my foot or
keyboard out of my mouth.
Galen

On Mon, 22 Mar 1999, galen brokaw wrote:

> Matt,
> "Nahui" means "four" and "ollin" means movement. The phrase "nahui ollin"
> or "four movement" is the name--derived from the calendar, and
> represented in the Aztec Sun Stone--of the fifth world age of
> Mesoamerican history.
> I believe that the correct spelling of ollin is with a double l to
> represent a long l, and without the accent. I think that the influence of
> the Spanish diminutive "i'n" with an accent is responsable for the misuse
> of the written accent in your source. With very few exceptions the natural
> accent in Nahuatl words falls on the second to last syllable, so ollin
> wouldn't need a written accent according to the rules of Spanish
> accentuation.
>
> Galen Brokaw
>
>
> On Mon, 22 Mar 1999, Matthew J. McDonald wrote:
>
> > Monday, March 22, 1999
> > c.  6:40 p.m.  EST
> >
> >
> >         I am looking for an English translation of the following Nahuatl
> > words:  Nahui Olin.
> >
> >         The "Olin" has an acute accent over the i [diagonal, from lower
> > left to upper right].
> >
> >         My mother is copy editing a book on Latin American art, and the
> > words have come up.
> >
> >         I would greatly appreciate any help anyone can give me.  Please
> > respond by private email to cuchulainn at compuserve.com.
> >
> >
> >                                                 Slainte,
> >
> >
> >
> >                                                 Matt McDonald
> >
>
>



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