The use of XIHUIT

[Howard Quilliam Dickens]

As a student of nahuat, here in El Salvador, I am experiencing problems
with the use of the word XIHUIT.
Dictionaries translate this word as "year" or "green stone" etc. however
local nahuat speakers appear to use this word in general manner to indicate
the passing of time. e.g

Xihuit chupi pal tiyauj titaketsa muuanka. (time is short for us to speak
together)

Am I confusing this with "chi-uit" as the participle "chi" (to make) is
also used here to imply the passing of time; as in:

chiyakiya yek

I know that there are differences between nahuat and nahuat-l, in
particular in the use of grammer. However I do find that nahuat-l
frequently provides good indicators in the translation of nahuat. Therefore
any ideas are more than welcome.

Tasukamati uan tiyaua yamanik!

Howard Dickens