trying to find the word for...

[micc at home.com]

dear Alex,

Thanks for your message!!

I was trying to remember what word was ( without having to resort to my
beloved Karttunen, Molina, and Simeon dictionaries)!!!!


in the danza Azteca, we use the "macanas" which are more correctly
called clubs, rather than swords.  After reading your message, I
remembered how my maestro Florencio Yescas described the clubs as "palos
de mano"

thanks again!!!

alexis wimmer wrote:
>
> -----Message d'origine-----
> Lucas Molina <lm412 at is9.nyu.edu> wrote
>
> >please don't think this odd but i collect knives and weapons and was
> >wondering what the name for the "aztec sword" is in nahuatl.  i've seen
> >a couple of examples at the New York Natural History Museum, but would
> >also like to know if anyone knows where i could find a picture on the
> >net somewhere.  i was thinking about trying to commission a flintknapper
> >to make one and am baffled about the method used to hold the blade in
> >place.
> >
> >Lucas Molina
> >
>
> Dear Lucas
>
> the Nahuatl word for the indigenous sword is macuahuitl. A variant is
> maccuahuitl. The usualy explaining of this word is to say it that it comes
> from cuahuitl, tree, wood, stick and ma:-itl, hand, or ma:c, a locative
> word, in the hand. Also hand-stick or stick (hold) in the hand.
> But can this word not be in relation with the verb ma:cuauhti, for the arm
> (or the hand) to become stiff ?
>
> Sincerely yours
>
> Alexis.