Tocayo

[Frances Karttunen]

To:ca:yoh 'one's namesake' is derived from to:ca:itl in the following way:

The stem of to:ca:itl is to:ca:-

To this is added the suffix -yoh.  When -yoh is added to a noun stem, it
forms a noun meaning 'something or someone invested with the quality of
(whatever the noun is)'

So from eztli 'blood' one gets ezyoh (or ezzoh) meaning either 'something
bloody' or 'someone bloodthirsty.'

>From zoquitl 'clay' one gets zoquiyoh 'something or someone of clay.'

The difrasismo: in zoquiyoh, in tla:lloh (< tla:l-yoh) refers to one's
earthly body, rather like what is said at Christian interment services,
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

So you can see how to:ca:yoh means 'someone who has [someone else's] name.'

There is another derivational suffix -yo:tl which forms abstract nouns such
as tla:lticpaccayo:tl 'mundane matters, that having to do with live on
earth.'

>From to:ca:itl one can form to:ca:yo:tl 'fame, reputation.'  When this is
possessed, it has the form -to:ca:yo (as in i:to:ca:yo 'his/her fame')

In spelling these two different derivations are easy to confuse.

By the way, if a word is possessed (with to- 'our' for instance), it cannot
end is -tl.

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From: mario <micc at home.com>
To: nahuat-l at server2.umt.edu
Subject: Re: Tocayo
Date: Sat, Jul 8, 2000, 1:08 AM


Could the basis of the word be "to" (our) + "Cayotl" (essence or
nationhood)???

i.e. "Our being"???

Jorge de Buen wrote:
Tijuana, B. C., 7 de julio de 2000
CCBtlevine wrote:

"Sullivan uses the word 'tocayo' as an adjective meaning renown or name from
tocaitl, name.Tocaitl seems to have as many meanings in Nahuatl as name has
in English.A person of renown has made a name for him/herself.Sullivan takes
a quote for her illustration from the Florentine Codex Vol X, p.15 lines 12,
13.It seems reasonable to think that a person who shares your name is
renowned or famous because you are well known.Tocayo! Famoso!"

More to the point: In the vocabulary of the Florentine Codex, compiled by
Joe, I found the word _tocayoh_ 'renowned.' Also, I am wondering if it is
possible to form a word like _tocayiuh_ from _tocaitl_ 'name' and _iuh_
'as,' 'like,' 'as if.' But it looks much more like a verb.

Saludos.

Jorge de Buen U.

jdebuen at caliente.com.mx

Tijuana, México


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