mazanelhuatl

[Galen Brokaw]

Richley,
I assume you are working with a manuscript.
Are you sure it isn't "tlalhuatl"?
I've seen many "tl" combinations that can look like "n"s.
And the "a" and the "e" can often be abmiguous.
Maybe you have already explored this possibility. If it were
"mazatlalhuatl", it would make sense as "deer sinew".
If it isn't a manuscript, maybe the transcriber mistook the "tlal" for
"nel".

Galen

Richley Crapo wrote:

> On its face, mazanelhuatl might mean "deer root".  (Does anyone know
> if there is such a plant?)  But I've found it in a context in which
> "deer sinew" would fit, perhaps even better.  Is nelhuatl, which is
> glossed as 'root' in my sources, ever used to mean 'sinew' as far as
> anyone here knows?
>
> Richley