cuaxochtli

[Frye, David]

Cactus and agaves (especially agaves -- magueyes) are planted to mark
the borders between fields all over central Mexico. I don't know whether
the flowers of nopales, organos, and/or magueyes are called "xochitl" or
whether this could have anything to do with "cuaxochitli".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
David Frye
Latin American & Caribbean Studies - LACS
International Institute, University of Michigan
2607 School of Social Work Bldg 
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
tel (734) 647 0844 - fax (734) 615-8880


-----Original Message-----
From: Nahua language and culture discussion
[mailto:NAHUAT-L at LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of ANTHONY APPLEYARD
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2006 4:33 AM
To: NAHUAT-L at LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: Re: cuaxochtli

--- Yukitaka Inoue Okubo <takaio at PO.AIANET.NE.JP> wrote:
> Hello. Could anyone help me with the etymology of `cuaxochtli'
> (land border, lindero)? Does it have something to do with "cuaitl" 
> and/or "xochitl"? In some colonial documents I'm reading, I've also 
> seen the form "cuaxochitli" instead ...

Uhh. `It-is-a-head-flower'. Was there a custom somewhere, of planting
flowering bushes to mark land borders?

Citlalyani