copichoa, panoltequi, ordinal sequences of textual space

[Mark David Morris]

Dear List,

Pleased to see a renewed interest in Nahuatl studies via this list, I am
taking the opportunity to solicit advice on any of the three questions
below.


1) Speaking of some beams that the writer has asked be carried to a
friend's outbuildings (mohxacaltzin), the writer further requests, "mah
ompa mosecpichocan."  I tentatively identify the verb in question as
"copichoa."  Luis Reyes Garcia tells me that this verb means "to store, to
keep (guardar)" and cites orphans or something strewn on the floor as
things apt to "copichoa."  Drawing from Molina, Remi Simeon defines
"copichoa" as to roll something up such as a reed mat or a suit.  Finally,
Joe Campbell glosses "copichoa (niccopichoa)" as to "hollow out," in his
vocabulary of the Florentine Codice prepared from the translation by
Dibble and Anderson.  Does anyone have a further opinion on "copichoa" and
what might account for these multiple definitions?


2) In speaking of those same beams, the writer uses the verb "panoa."
More specifically, he writes either "panolhuia," as Luis Reyes tells me I
should read it, or writes, "panoltequi," as my eyes want to tell me.
"Panoltequi" is a not too uncommon expression in Tlaxcala to say that one
is passing time working, e.g. "nipanoltequi," (I am passing it working).
I have never seen this verb as a transitive verb, however, as my
paleography in this case would suggest.  Is there anyone familiar with
Puebla-Tlaxcala Nahuatl who has any ideas about "panoltequi"?


3) Finally, are there any published studies of the construction of textual
space by ordinal series, e.g., "achtopa. . .inic ome tlamantli. . .etc."
and/or studies that compare those constructions in Mesomamerican writing
systems and in alphabetic colonial writing.



Thank you in advance for your attention,
Sincerely,
Mark Morris



P.S. The baptism ceremony is in chapter 11 of the Florentine Codice.





















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La muerte tiene permiso a todo

MDM, PhD Candidate
Dept. of History, Indiana Univ.