acaxilqui

[Galen Brokaw]

Is it possible that the "xi" in this word is an archaic stem related
either to "xip" as Fran suggests and/or to stems in words like "xeloa"
and "xexelihui" that have meanings such as to split, scatter, spread,
slice, and carve? This would make a lot of sense, especially given the
fact that this compound appears with "amatl" and "tlacuilolli." If the
-lqui ending means something "verbed", then there would appear to be two
possibilities. One would be that the word is a kind of synonym for
tlacuilolli, meaning "somethign reed-inscribed, carved, 'scattered,'
etc."  That is to say, something inscribed with a reed instrument. In
this case, the "aca-" would be an instrumental imbed. The other
possibility, is that it refers to the "paper" itself that is painted.
So, the acatl would be a direct object imbed and the word would mean a
kind of reed that has been flayed or spread out, thus creating the paper
which is then painted. The fact that in the example #3 that Joe cites
the word appears along side "amatl" may also suggest that it is a kind
of synonym of paper, or a more specific kind of paper made from
splitting and spreading out some kind of reed.
An apparent problem (or at least one of the problems) with this
interpretation is the "inic" that shows up between the two words in some
of the examples. I think Dibble and Anderson's rationale was that the
"inic" indicated that the tlacuilolli was done in the manner of an
acaxilqui. And this does seem to be a possible translation. But I'm not
sure it necessarily limits the interpretation of "acaxilqui" in this
way. In two of the passages that Joe sent out, the inic appears before
tlacuilolli rather than acaxilqui. So, it may be saying that the objects
discussed were painted like tlacuilolli or in the manner of tlacuilolli
rather than the other way round. (Or something like that.)
It seems to me that the first time this term is used in Book 2, you
could translate the sentence as follows:

"And they fastened their sacrificial paper streamers firmly to canes,
which were painted black and called acaxilqui."

The change I am suggesting in Dibble and Anderson's translation here is
from "in what was called a scroll design" to "and called acaxilqui."
The word Dibble and Anderson translate as "their sacrificial paper
streamers" appears to be "inteteuh," and it appears at the beginning of
the sentence. But the morphology of the term "acaxilqui," which appears
at the end, would seem to correspond more closely to the literal meaning
of "paper streamers" or even better "read streamers." So, it may be that
the "motocayotia acaxilqui" is clarifying the term "inteteuh" and
referring to the streamers rather than to the tlacuilolli. I think you
can make an argument about the way the term is used in the other
sentences as well to support this interpretation.
Of course, I could be completely wrong about this. So, anybody, feel
free to poke holes in my theory.
Galen





r. joe campbell wrote:
>    I looked carefully through M'n'M'n'M (the three Molinas) and failed to
> other related-looking words.  I also checked Book II, FC, and Book XII...
> and got what I quote below.  Also three snippets from the Spanish version
> of Book II; the Spanish version of Book XII does not give more than a
> brief *summary* of the contents of Chapter 19.
>
> Joe
>
> acaxilqui
>      1.  tliltica tlacuilolli, motocayotia **acaxilqui**:
>           [the streamers] were painted in black in what was called a scroll
>               design. (b.2 f.3 p.74)
>
>      2.  auh in motlacamati, canahuac inic quicuappachoa: zan no
>           **acaxilqui** inic tlacuilolli:
>           and the rich [women and girls] thus fastened thin cotton blankets
>               [to canes] likewise painted with a scroll design. (b.2 f.3
>               p.74)
>
>      3.  auh inic quitzitzquitihui, amatl **acaxilqui**, inic
>           tlacuilolli:
>           and where they went grasping [the staves] were papers painted with
>               scroll designs. (b.2 f.3 p.75)
>
>      4.  ihuan iamamaxtli, **acaxilqui** inic tlacuilolli:
>           and they had their paper breechclouts painted with stripes. (b.2
>               f.10 p.164)
>
> texoacaxilqui
>      1.  auh in ihuei (maxtli) zan amatl, yehuatl in cuahuamatl, inic
>           patlahuac cemmatl: auh inic huiac cempoalli, inic tlacuilolli
>           **texoacaxilqui**,
>           but his large [breech clout] was only of paper; it was of white
>               paper, one fathom wide and twenty long, painted with a blue
>               striped design. (b.12 f.4 p.52)
>
>
>
> From Spanish version of Book II:
>
>
> En esta fiesta todas las donzellas se afeitavan las caras y
> componian con pluma colorada los brac%os y las piernas y
> llevavan todas unos papeles puestos en unas can~as hendidas que
> llamavan teteuitl el papel era pintado con tinta Otras que
>
>
>
>
> llamavan teteuitl el papel era pintado con tinta Otras que
> eran hijas de sen~ores o de personas ricas no llevavan papel
> sino unas mantas delgadas que llamavan canaoac tambien las
> mantas ivan pintadas de negro a manera de virgulas de alto a
> baxo Llevando en las manos estas can~as con sus papeles o
> mantas altas andavan la procesion con la otra gente a honra de
> este dios y tambien bailavan estas donzellas con sus can~as y
> papeles assidos con ambas manos en derredor del fogon
>
>
>
> La parte por donde llevavan assidos estos
> cetros iva envuelta con un papel pintado de listas o rayas
> negras y cuando estos ivan danc%ando llegavan al suelo con el
> cetro como sustentandose en el segun los pasos que ivan
> dando Y los que hazian el son para bailar estavan dentro de
> una casa que llamavan calpulco de manera que no se vian los
> unos a los otros ni los que bailavan a los que tan~ian ni
> los que tan~ian a los que bailavan
>
>