Notes
Chapter 1
1 See Friedrich (1970, 1986) and Schryer (1990).
2 Schryer (1990: 47) reported that poor Nahuas, who had “access only to a badly eroded hillside, invaded a pasture belonging to the richest Nahua family in Pepeyocatitla.” See Collier and Quartiello (1999: 15–52) for a history of land struggles leading up to the Zapatista rebellion that erupted onto the world stage on January 1, 1994. Elio Roberto Masferrer Kan (2006: 245–252) describes a wide variety of political and religious movements that took place in the Sierra Norte de Puebla following Mexico’s Independence from Spain.
3 See Canger (1988) for a review of how scholars of historical linguistics have interpreted the relationship between the t and tl dialects of Nahua languages. Harold Key and Mary Ritchie de Key (1953) compiled a dictionary of the t dialect of Nahua near Zacapoaxtla, which Karttunen (1992: xxi) considers an invaluable source for compiling her own dictionary of Nahua languages.
4 Simpson ([1941] 1966: 372) defined an ejido as: “A common alloted to a village for crops or grazing; specifically in México, land alloted to a peasant for farming; also a state-operated, cooperative farm.”
Chapter 2
1 Bernardo García Martínez (1987: 165–164, 169) found evidence, in the colonial archives, of Nahuas in Huitzilan around 1600 resisting the efforts of Church and civil authorities to resettle or congregate in a neatly laid out town.
2 D. Interview, June 29, 2005, pp. 1–5.
3 D. Crecencio Bonilla, July 28, 2005, p. 1.
4 D. UCI, June 29, 2005, pp. 1–5.
5 D. UCI, June 29, 2005, pp. 1–5.
6 D. Notes on ejidos in Huitzilan from the Departamento de Asuntos Agrarios y Colonización, Archivo Central, recorded on September 9, 1969.
7 D. UCI, June 29, 2005, pp. 1–5.
8 Fulana is a pseudonym.
9 -toc = postposition, adjacent to, close to (Kattunen 1992: 308).
10 D. UCI, March 15, 2004 C, pp. 45–46.
11 D. UCI March 15, 2004 C, p. 47.
12 D. UCI, March 15, 2004 C, p. 48.
13 D. UCI, March 15, 2004 A, p. 2. See also Taggart (2008: 195).
14 quechilia = applic. quetza (Karttunen 1992: 206). Quetza = to stand up; to stop someone or to raise someone or something (Karttunen 1992: 209).
15 D. UCI, March 15, 2004 A, p. 2.
16 Taggart (2008: 194).
Chapter 3
1 D. Religion (January 6, 1969), p.5.
2 D. Religion (August 23, 1969), p. 34.
3 de la Fuente Farres (1897: 64).
4 Zapotecs in Mitla gave Parsons (1936: 350) a different interpretation of the scale, saying that San Miguel used it to sort out those who went to heaven and those who went to hell. Those who weighed more than one ounce went to the latter destination.
5 The association between San Miguel and the rain gods is widespread among contemporary indigenous speakers in Mexico. Redfield and Villa Rojas (1934: 108, 115) reported that the Maya of Chan Kom regarded San Miguel Arcángel as the “chief of the chaacs (rain gods).” See also Sandstrom forthcoming), p. 13. Broda (1971) presented an interesting interpretation of the ancient Nahuas’ theory of water.
6 One basis for associating rain gods with San Miguel is that the saint’s date in the Catholic calendar is September 29, the season when the people of Huitzilan experience the heaviest rainstorms. See Santopedía, https://www.santopedia.com/santos/san-miguel-arcangel.
7 D. Quiyauhteomeh quemeh San Miguelmeh, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100039, p. 670.
8 D. Quiyauhteot nexicol, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100040, p. 677.
9 D. Ahuehueht, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 20, 2012, LS100053, p. 628.
10 D. Coatonalle huan Quiyauhteotonalle, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS1000042, p. 689.
11 D. Coatonalle huan Quiyauhteotonalle, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, LS1000042, April 18, 2012, LS1000042, p. 689.
12 D. Coatonalle huan Quiyauhteotonalle, by Nacho Ángle Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS1000042, pp. 686–694, p. 689.
13 D. Ahuehueht, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 20, 2010, LS100053, p. 628.
14 D. Quiyauhteot nexicol, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100040, pp. 677–680, p. 679.
15 D. Coatonalle huan Quiyauhteotonalle, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS1000042, p. 690.
16 D. Quiyauhteot nexicol, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100040, p. 680.
17 D. Coatonalle huan Quiyauhteotonalle, by Nacho, Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS1000042, p. 691.
18 D. Coatonalle huan Quiyauhteotonalle, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS1000042, p. 691.
19 Maffie (2014: 214) defined the tonalli (Nahuatl spelling) as including: “Solar heat, energy, or power; solar radiation, life force sensed and transmitted as heat; a day, day sign, day name; a person’s fate, destiny or birth-merit (macehualli) as determined by her day sign; personal and calendrical name; animating energy, soul, spirit; and vigor, character, or temperament.” Bassett (2015: 91–92) found “more than 1,600 occurrences of teotl in Sahagún’s Florentine Codex,” from which she “compiled a list of approximately twenty-five pairs of words” with a range of meanings.” Her work revealed “a cluster of five teotl qualities” one of which was that a teotl has a tonalli.
20 D. Quiyauhteot nexicol, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100040, pp. 679–680.
21 D. Miquiliz, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 24, 2008, Tape 17b, pp. 545–569, p. 550.
22 D. Miquiliz, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 24, 2008, Tape 17b, pp. 545–569, p. 545.
23 van’t Hooft (2007: 156, 161, 168) reports that the Nahuas of the Huasteca of Hidalgo named three different terrestrial water animals: crayfish (xili), water snakes, and fish.
24 D. Quiyauhteomeh-San Miguelmeh, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100039, p. 674. See also van’t Hooft (2007: 170), who writes: “The tale of two water creatures inundating the land is very well known throughout the southern part of the Xochiatipan municipality [in the Huasteca]. . . . ”
25 D. Interview, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 19, 2012, LS100044, p. 681.
26 D. Interview, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 19, 2012, LS100044, p. 682. Shape-shifting occurs in a number of indigenous cultures in Mexico and elsewhere. See John Monaghan (1995: 347–353) on the Mixtecs in Oaxaca.
27 See interesting accounts of ritual specialists known as graniceros, tiemperos, or quiatlaz in Tlaxcala (Robichaux 2008: 405, 406, 410) and ahuaques in the State of Mexico (Lorente Fernández 2011), who are struck by lightning and acquire their abilities to predict the weather and practice rituals to manage weather events.
28 See van’t Hooft (2007: 234–242) for an interesting description of the Huastecan Nahuas’ mermaid, la Sirena, a water-sprit who assumes human form.
Chapter 4
1 D. Religion, July 8, 1969, p. 19.
2 tamic = something finished, a complete measure of twenty/veinte mazorcas de maíz o de cosas semejantes, acabado (Karttunen 1992: 282).
3 ye = suppletive verb to be in the sense of Spanish estar/estar, o ser (Karttunen 1992: 335).
4 D. “Tacat quimati quemanyan quiyahuiz,” by Juan Hernández, Tape 17, pp. 2270–2274 (1975).
5 This is in accord with Maffie’s (2014: 21–31) interpretation of the meaning of teotl.
6 See Knab (1991).
7 Cosas refers to offerings of chicken or turkey, bread, aguardiente, candles, and incense for the rain gods.
8 D. Quiyauhteomeh, by Manuel Castillo, October 14, 2007, Tapes 10A and B, pp. 289–314, p. 292.
9 See Vogt (1969: 446–455) and Sandstrom (forthcoming: 12). Sandstrom (30) also notes: “Among the Nahua of northern Veracruz, and probably the other groups as well, people do not hold rituals to ask directly for more rain or for the end of a threatening downpour. Rather, they ask for balance in relations between human beings and the spirit realm. The purpose of the rituals and all of the sacrifices and offerings held throughout the year is to maintain or re-establish the harmony and balance between humans and the forces of nature represented by the spirit entities (see Sandstrom 2008: 25).”
10 For example, those who cleaned the springs were neighbors, some of whom were related by kinship. D. Religion, May 6, 1969, p. 15.
11 D. Quiyauhteomeh quemeh San Miguelmeh, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2011, LS100039, p. 673.
12 D. Quiyauhteot nexicol, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100040, p. 678.
13 D. Corrections, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, Tape, April 23, 2008, Tape 17A, p. 537.
14 D. Corrections, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, Tape, April 23, 2008, Tape 17A, p. 537.
15 D. Corrections, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 23, 2008, Tape 17A, pp. 533–534.
16 D. Quiyauhteot nexicol, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100040, pp. 677–680, p. 679.
17 D. Ahuehueht, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 20, 2010, LS100053, p. 627.
18 D. Quiyauhteot nexicol, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100040, p. 679.
19 D. Ahuehueht, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 20, 2010, LS100053, pp. 626–627.
20 van’t Hooft (2007: 198) also reports that the Nahuas of the Huasteca regard St. John the Baptist “as a spirit of thunder and lightning” who has little human-like helpers called auetziltiani [ahuehtziltiani].
21 D. Quiyauhteomeh, by Juan Hernández, December 14, 2007, Tape 14A, pp. 460–464, p. 462.
22 D. Quiyauhteomeh, by Juan Hernández, December 14, 2007, Tape 14A, pp. 460–464, p. 463.
23 D. Quiyauhteomeh, by Juan Hernández, December 14, 2007, Tape 14A, pp. 460–464, p. 463, p. 464.
Chapter 5
1 D. Religion, January 28, 1970, p. 48.
2 tictenetoya = estabas mencionando (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
3 panoltiquizaz = sale subiendo (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
4 quincuitiquih = los pasó de traer (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
5 ixtia = vrefl, vt. to keep watch, to observe; to face someone/atalayar o asechar, advertir y mirar diligentemente, hacer rostro a los enemigos, se asoma (Karttunen 1992: 120).
6 D. “Presidente Huan Cura,” by Miguel Ahuata, 1975, Tape 14, pp. 2171–2178.
7 D. Religion, August 23, 1969, p. 34.
8 See Tiedje (2002) for a case involving the Nahuas in the Huasteca. See also MacEoin (2002) on the relationship between the Zaptistas and Bishop Samuel Ruíz.
9 D. Religion, July 25,1969, p. 23.
10 D. Religion, March 9, 1969, p. 10.
11 D. Religion, January 1,1969, p. 1; January 5,1969, p. 4; January 6, 1969, p. 5.
12 D. Religion, August 15, /1969, p. 28, p. 29; D. Religion, August 18, 1969, p. 31; August 24, 1969, p. 37.
13 D. Religion, March 9, 1969, p. 10.
14 D. Religion, July 25, 1969, p. 24.
15 D. Religion, July 25, 1969, p. 23–24.
16 Maffie (2014: 359) used the example of weaving. which “unifies warp and weft in reciprocal agonistic tension. Weaving thus creates a new middle space of mutual tension, a space that exists only to a degree that such mutual tension exists, and only to a degree that warp and weft co-exist in reciprocal agonistic balance with and against each other.” Burkhart (1989: 28–29) explained that to tangle one’s weaving is to fall into a state of disorder or tlatlacolli and commit a fault.
17 See also Taggart (2007: 99).
18 Taggart (2007: 116, 128).
19 D. Tzopec-chichic, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, July 15, 2009, p. 593.
20 D. Interview, by Gabriela, November 4, 2007, Tape 12A, p. 358.
21 D. Interview, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, May 31, 2003, p. 10.
22 D. Tazohtaliz, by Teresa Carrillo y Manuela Esteban, May 25, 2007, Tape 4A, pp. 68–89, p. 77.
23 Taggart (2012).
24 D. Icuac huallacah UCIs B, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, March 17, 2004, Tape B, pp. 108–109.
25 ilcahua = to forget something (Karttunen 1992: 103).
26 tacayot = humanity (Karttunen 1992: 253).
27 hueloa = to be dislocated, to consume, to undo, demolish something (Karttunen 1992: 86).
28 ihihtoa = to criticize, slander someone (Karttunen 1992: 97).
29 D. Icuac huallacah UCIs B, by Nacho Angel Hernández, March 17, 2004, Tape B, pp. 105–117, pp. 105–107. See also Taggart (2007: 77).
Chapter 6
1 D. Religion, July 24, 1969, p. 22.
2 nenqui = resident of some place, someone who lives/morador de alguna parte, el que vive. Derived from nemi (Karttunen 1992: 168).
3 arena del mar, una isla de arena (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
4 caquizti = to sound, to be heard clearly/sonar, o oírse bien el que habla o cuenta. From caqui (Karttunen 1992: 25).
5 tapani = for something like pottery or eggshells to break into pieces/quebrarse algo, quebarse vasijas de barro, tecomates, o otras cosas delicadas (Karttunen 1992: 290).
6 tapana = vt. to break or split something open, to break something open, to hatch chicks/quebrar algo, sacar pollos las aves, o descascarar mazorcas de cacao o de cosa semejante (Karttunen 1992: 289). ixtli = face, surface, eye/la haz o la cara o el nudo de la caña, faz, rostro, ojo (Karttunen 1992: 121). Se aparte el cuerpo (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
7 ayoc see aoc = no longer, not anymore/ya no (Karttunen 1992: 11, 16).
8 cuitco = anus; cuitat = excrement, residue, excrescence/mierda, fiemo, inmundicia, residuo, llaga, tumor, absceso (Karttunen 1992: 73–74).
9 mota = to stone someone, to throw a rock at someone or something, to hunt something/dar pedrada a otro, tirar con piedra, cazar (Karttunen 1992: 153). motamotqueh = they were thrown out (of the achane’s body).
10 Nos estaba dando tristeza (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
11 D. “El Presidente de Hueytlalpan,” by de la Co Ayance, 1978, Tape 30-2, pp. 1804–1808.
12 D. Juan’s complaints 1973, pp. 25–26.
13 Google Maps estimated the trip by foot from Huitzilan to Tetela de Ocampo would take twelve hours and fifty-one minutes. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Huitzilan+deSerd%C3%A1n,+Puebla,+Mexico/Tetela+de+Ocampo,+Puebla,+Mexico/
14 D. “El Presidente de Hueytlalpan,” by Nacho Ángel Hernández, 1978, Tapes 33-1, 33-2, pp. 1869–1876.
15 tanahuatíl = someone cited, charged, or dismissed; a notice, order, regulation, or law/citado, mandado, despedido, o licenciado, noticia, aviso, ley, mandamiento, mandato (Karttunen 1992: 283).
16 D. Corrections, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 23, 2008, Tape 17A, p. 530.
17 D. UCI B, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, March 16, 2004, p. 62.
Chapter 7
1 D. Religion, July 24, 1969, p. 22.
2 Taggart 2007: 70.
3 D. Tzopec-chichic, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, July 15, 2009, pp. 588–593.
4 talcuatipa[n]yetoqueh = están encima de un bordo (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
5 iuhqui = nada (Nacho Ángel Hernández). iuhqui = thus, in such a way, like/semejante o así o de esa manera. Often misleadingly spelled yuhqui (Karttunen 1992: 109).
6 taxicaya = goteaba (Nacho Ángel Herneandez). ixica = to run, drip, ooze, bleed/resumarse o salirse la vasija, se escurre, sangrar. See ihxica (Karttuen 1992: 114). ihxica = for something to leak, ooze, trickle/resumarse o salirse la vasija (Karttunen 1992: 102).
7 rayo (Nacho).
8 quitahtauhtiquih = le vienen a rogar (Nacho Ángel Hernández). tatauhtiya = vrefl, vt to pray; to pray to someone or implore someone for something, to plead with someone/ruega, orar, hacer oración o rezar, rogar por otro (Karttunen 1992: 299).
9 actoc = within/metido adentro (Karttunen 1992: 3).
10 tamatque = sabio (Nacho Ángel Hernández). tamatqui = someone wise, prudent/prudente, sabio, listo (Karttunen 1992: 281).
11 tiquiihcuizqueh = vamos a comenzar a agarrar (Nacho Ángel Hernández). ihcuiya = vrefl, pret. ihcuix = to wrap or coil oneself, to coil one’s hair up/coger o revolver los cabellos la mujer a la cabeza, o ceñir la culebra por el árbol o por el cuerpo de hombre (Karttunen 1992: 97).
12 maxitiqueh = mahciticah = something whole, something unadulterated/cosa entera, fina, o pura. See ahci (Karttunen 1992: 130).
13 tatatzinilot = truenos (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
14 hueicuia = ihcuiya. See note 11.
15 quihualchiyatoh = fueron a esperar (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
16 chi ca = es que (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
17 iyoh = only/solo. verb. iyoa = preterit-as-present verb; pret: iyoh = to be alone, to act alone/solo (Karttunen 1992: 123).
18 tacuotamatic = confió (ta cuaquimatic = knew the head of someone) (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
19 chancauh = paisano (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
20 meya pret. mex = to gush, bubble up/manar la fuente o cosa semejante (Karttunen 1992: 145).
21 D. “Ocuilin itech at de Ixtepec,” by Nacho Ángel Hernández, 1978, Tape 33-1, pp. 1860–1865.
22 D. Quiyauhteomeh quemeh San Miguelmeh, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 18, 2012, LS100039, p. 670.
23 On some maps, what the Nahuas in Huitzilan call the Río Zempoala appears as the Río Tecolutla.
24 There is a tendency in some societies to reckon ethnicity and kinship in similar ways. (See Keyes 1981 and Schneider 1984).
25 Taggart 2008: 187, 226.
Chapter 8
1 piyalia = vt. to keep something for someone, to care for something for someone/guardar algo a otro (Karttunen 1992: 199).
2 tatoc = something planted, sown, buried/cosa enterrada, plantada, o sembrada (Karttunen 1992: 300).
3 ahmo xmonemili = no te preocupes, no te pienses (Nacho Ángle Hernández).
4 telaja = piedra grande (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
5 ixquep[a] is the Z variant of ixcuep[a] (Karttunen 1992: 118). ixcuep[a] = vrefl, vt. to lose one’s way and get confused; to deceive someone, to turn something inside out or upside down/errar el camino o andar descarriado, embaucar o engañar a otro, volver lo de dentro a fuera, la trabuca, lo pone boca arriba, le tiene dos caras (Karttunen 1992: 113).
6 tiontachaa = devisa de lejos (Nacho Ángel Hernández). on = prefix for verbs primarily indicating direction of action away from the speaker; sometimes used for formality without literal directional sense; on = distal particle/adj. que indica la distancia, la lejanía (Karttunen 1992: 179).
7 ayoh = something that contains water/cosa aguada, como vino o miel (Karttunen 1992: 16).
8 itonal = sweat/sudor (Karttunen 1992: 107). itonia = vrefl, vt to sweat, perspire/sudar (Karttunen, 1992: 108).
9 ciahui = to get tired/cansarse (Karttunen 1992: 33).
10 temactia = vrefl, vt to surrender; to hand something over/se rinde, se entrega (Karttunen 1992: 221).
11 cuihuicaltiya = lo maldice (Nacho Ángel Hernández); cuicuitahuiltia = vt. to force, persuade someone/aconsejar, convencer, obligar a alguien, seducir, violar (Karttunen 1992: 71).
12 timaltican = nos bañemos (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
13 xixilia = applic. xix(a) = vrefl to urinate/orinar (Karttunen 1992: 327–328). xinia = vt. to sprinkle, water on something/lo esparce, lo riega. xitinia = synonymous with (Karttunen 1992: 325).
14 tetzahu[i] = to condense, thicken, congeal/queda espeso, se espesa (Karttunen 1992: 236). tetzahuit = something extraordinary, frightening, supernatural; an augury, a bad omen/cosa escandalos o espantosa, o cosa de agüero (Karttunen 1992: 237).
15 quiehualtique = ehuaticah = to be seated/estar asentado, ehualtia = altern. caus. ehua (Karttunen 1992: 76).
16 tecpan[a] = vrefl, vt. to line up; to line something up, put something in a queue, set something in order/fila, poner en orden la gente, poner algo por orden y concierto o establecer o ordenar algo (Karttunen 1992: 217).
17 quiehcoltiah = lo hacen arrivar (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
18 temohuia = vt to lower something/descender o abajar algo (Karttunen 1992: 223).
19 teezzo = someone well-born/hijo o hija de nobles caballeros, bien nacido (Karttunen 1992: 218).
20 cuehmoloa = vrefl, vt to become disturbed, worried, upset; to bother, upset, disturb someone/se preocupa, se turba, se trastorna, lo molesta, lo alborota, lo trastorna, lo distrae (Karttunen 1992: 69).
21 D. “Tacat quihtoa quemanyan quiyahuiz” by Antonio Veracruz, 1978, Tapes 19-2, 20-1, pp. 1518–1530.
22 Antonio Veracruz [Huitzilan] and Mariano Isidro [Yaonáhuac] used the word cuicuitahualtia, which I translated as “swear at someone,” based on definitions a native Nahuat speaker provided when helping me correct my transcriptions. Nacho Angel Hernández defined this word as maldice, which means “put a curse on, put a spell on, to wish harm to, wish evil to, insult, revile, abuse, curse.” Karttunen (1992: 77) defined this word as “to force, persuade someone.”
23 nancahhuaqueh = they, you [plural] scolded.
24 tahtama = to hunt or fish, to take captives in war/pescar o cazar algo con redes, cazar o cautivar en la guerra (Karttunen 1992: 264). tama = to go hunting, to take game, to make captives/cazar o cautivar algo (Karttunen 1992: 278).
25 D. UCI B, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, March 16, 2004, p. 62.
Chapter 9
1 tetziloa = vt. to twist something ropelike/torcer mucho cordel, soga, etc. (Karttunen 1992: 237).
2 D. “Malintzin,” by Miguel Fuentes, 1978, Tapes 33-1, pp. 1856–1857.
3 tacamachia = altern. caus. tacamat[i] = to be rich and prosperous, to obey someone/ser rico y próspero, obedecer a otro (Karttunen 1992: 252).
4 D. “The Kidnapped Wife,” Tape 7A, October 1, 2007, pp. 161–162.
Chapter 10
1 D. Tachcuapan 1, April 19, 2012 LS100046, p. 683.
2 D. UCI quinequi quicuih Tachcuapan, April 19, 2012, LS100047, p. 295.
3 D. Tachcuapan 2, April 19, 2012, LS100046, p. 684.
4 tahtani = to ask questions, to inquire/preguntar (Karttunen 1992: 265); tani = to order, to wish, or request something, to aspire to something, to work to bring something about/mandar, desear, pedir . . . pretender lo que el precedente verbo significa (Karttunen 1992: 285).
5 Me gustó el lugar (Nacho Ángel Hernández). tahuelitta = to hate someone/aborrecer y mirar con enojo a otro (Karttunen 1992: 269]. huelitta = vrefl, vt to enjoy oneself, to find something pleasing and good, to approve of something/se goza, se regocija, agradarme y parecereme bien alguna cosa. huel, itta (Karttunen 1992: 86)
6 pano, panoc = to ford, cross a river/pasar el río a pie, o nadando, o en barca (Karttunen 1992: 187).
7 Hicieron un drenaje (Nacho Ángel Hernández). tenantia = to wall something in, to encircle something with a wall or trench/cercar de mura la ciudad o hacer albarrada (Karttunen 1992: 224).
8 The rich man habló con el hombre que tuvo el tonal del coatonalle para pedir permiso para poner su casa en Tachcuapan. Después apreció el agua arriba tal vez porque el achane quiso comer los animales (Nacho Ángel Hernández). See “Ce Xochiteco” and “Ce Tepanqueño,” in D. Quihauyteomeh, October 11, 2007, Tape 9B, pp. 253, 255.
9 pan-tli = row, wall, muro, linea, hilera, grupo (Karttunen 199: 187).
10 cohcotona = to pluck, shred, crumble something, to cut, pinch, wound someone/desmenuzar o despedazar pan o cosa semejante, pellizcar a otro. redup cotona (Karttunen 1992: 40).
11 D. Quiyauhteomeh quemeh San Miguelmeh, April 18, 2012, LS100039, p. 674.
12 D. Tachcuapan 1, April 19, 2012, LS100044, p. 682.
13 nenquen = right away, immediately/inmediatemente, prisa, apurado, aprisa (Karttunen 1992: 168). Nenqui = resident of someplace, someone who lives/morador de alguna parte, el que (Karttunen 1992: 168).
14 chihualiz = something feasible/cosa factible, trabajo (Karttunen 1992: 51).
15 tapatahua = to withdraw/se aleja, se retira (Karttunen 1992: 290).
16 D. Tachcuapan 2, April 19, 2012, LS100046, p. 683.
17 nehuan = both together/ ambos a dos o juntamente amos a dos (Karttunen 1992: 163).
18 ye = suppletive verb to be (in the sense of Spanish estar)/ estar, o ser [yetz-= is used in the causative derivation yetztia] (Karttunen 1992: 335).
19 D. Cuahcuemeh, April 19, 2012, LS100051, p. 629.
Chapter 11
1 D. Ocuilli huehcauh, by Nacho, April 19, 2012, LS100045. p. 658.
2 tahuiltequi = he lights, shows or cuts a path. tahuia = to light a candle, to light the way for people with tapers or torches/alumbrar la candela, alumbrar a otros con candela, alumbrar a otros con candela o hacha. (Karttunen 1992: 269).
3 D. Ocuilli huehcauh (achane cihuat), by Nacho, April 19, 2012, LS100045, 656–659.
4 cacalameh = tortillas of an achane (Nacho Ángel Hernández). caca = toad, frog/sapo (Karttunen 1992: 18), calat = frog/rana (Karttunen 1992: 21).
5 ecahuil = sombra (Nacho Ángel Hernández),.
6 atahuit = valley, canyon, gully/valle, cañada (Karttunen 1992: 13).
7 pet(a)-t = woven mat, petate/estera generalmente, petate (Karttunen:1992: 192).
8 toloa = tragar (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
9 xiani = hubiera sido (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
10 D. Quiyauhteomeh, by Miguel/Colax, October 11, 2007, Tape 9B, pp. 246–248.
11 D. Corrections, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 23, 2008, Tape 17A, p. 524. The narrator used the word pintocoton for the garment worn by C, the Nahua man who gave up Tachcuapan to pay a tab in a store. D. Tachcuapan 2, April 19, 2012, LS100046, p. 683. The word itapachcoton is probably a combination of i+tapach+coton. tapachoa = vrefl. vt. to cover oneself; to cover something, to roof something over/cubrirse con algo, cubrir a otro (Karttunen 1992: 288). cotona = vt. to cut something, to break something off, to wound someone/cortar o despedazar algo, o coger la fruta del árbol con la mano, o coger espigas, o abreviar algo, pellizcar (Karttunen 1992: 42).
12 D. Corrections, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, April 23, 2008, Tape 17A, p. 527.
Chapter 12
1 References to floods are found in ancient and contemporary ethnographic sources. Van’t Hooft (2007: 142) notes that the Codex Vaticano A mentions that Chalchiuhtlicue unleashed a flood. Ichon (1973: 130) reported that Totonacs in the northern Sierra Norte de Puebla expressed their fear of heavy rainstorms in stories about those who fell into rivers during the rainy season and became workers for the water spirit digging out the riverbed. Contemporary Nahuas in the Sierra Norte de Puebla (Taggart 1983: 189–199) and in the Huasteca (van’t Hooft 2007: 107–154) tell many stories of a flood destroying a prior era of creation.
2 Palatzin = Francisco Pasión [ya difunto/deceased].
3 quiyahuat = rainstorm/lluvia, aguacero (Karttunen 1992: 213).
4 milaquini = milini + aquin = those who shine
5 tepozcal = church tower (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
6 centapal = on, belonging to one side/de un lado, o del un lado (Karttunen 1992: 31).
7 Nacho Ángel Hernández: “He is not Palatzin of Calyecapan. He lived behind the house of Doña Concha Bonilla. I did not know him. They say he had a lot of money that he buried but no one knows where. He was a rich man.” (“No es Palatzin de Calyecapan. Vivía atrás de doña Concha. No lo conocí. Dice que tenía mucho dinero que lo enterró pero no sabe donde. Era rico.”)
8 Lomen Chepa or Sevais Chepa “was the granddaughter of Palatzin” (“Lomen Chapa o Sevais Chepa era la nieta de Palatzin.”) (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
9 tamatini = wise person, sage, scholar/sabio; tamatilia = to calm down, to grow quiet, to calm, quiet someone, something/se calla, lo calma, le hace callar, lo pacifica, lo sosiega (Karttunen 1992: 281).
10 Lo está haciendo [terminando de llegar] (Nacho Ángel Hernández). tay[e]cohtoc = tayecoa = to finish, conclude something/concluir o acabar obra (Karttunen 1992: 337).
11Tuzamapan para abajo.
12 ninequepia = me regreso (Nacho Ángel Hernández).
13 un punto (Nacho Ángel Hernández). huitzi = thorn, spine/espina grande o puya (Karttunen 1992: 91).
14 D. Quiyauhteomeh, by Miguel and Colax Ángel Hernández, October 11, 2007, Tape 9B, p. 256–260.
15 D. UCI A, by Nacho Ángel Hernández, March 17, 2004, p. 98. See Taggart (2007: 72).
Chapter 13
1 See, for example, Gutmann (1993) and Sivaramakrishnan (2005)
2 Brad Huber (1990) describes how Nahuas in the southern Sierra Norte still practice divination with kernels of corn.
Appendix
1 atahuit = valley, canyon, gully/valle, cañada (Karttunen 1992: 13).
2 tachiya = to see, to look or gaze/mirar o ver (Karttunen 1992: 255).
3 tahueliztiuh = lo va a gustar (Nacho Ángel Hernánez).
4 caxiuhqueh or taxiuqueh = quitaron (Nacho Ángel Hernández). taxilia = vrefl, vi to abort, to cast something off, to throw something away from someone, to cause somone to abort/abortar, desharcerse de algo, dimitar de un cargo, hacer abortar una mujer (Karttunen 1992: 303).
5 zohua = to stretch or spread out, to extend (Karttunen 1992: 347). Francisco Aparicio, a native speaker from Yaonáhuac, translated quitzonzohuac as “lo tendió [de cabeza].” [“She stretched him out with his head down.”]
6 techhuihuicaltiah = “nos maldicen” (Francisco Aparicio). Antonio Veracruz used cuicuitahualtia for maldice in line 187 of “The Humble Man’s Predicament” (Chapter 8).
7 techhuicaticozqueh = “nos llevaron de correr” (Francisco Aparicio).
8 tatecuiniaya = tronaba (Francisco Aparicio). tecuiltia = to set something afire, to light something/prender fuego (Karttunen 1992: 307).
9 quinahuatitiuzqueh = lo dejaron avisados (Francisco Aparicio).
10 aqui does not refer to the protagonist (see line 89).
11 titechzalarotoc = nos está poniendo obstáculo (Francisco Aparicio).
12 nancahhuaqueh = you [plural] scolded.
13 cuihcui = to get ready, to be prepared/se dispone, se prepara (Karttunen 1992: 71–72).
14 tatzini = to make explosive sound, to thunder, to sizzle/sonar algo reventado asi como huevo cuando la asan o cosa semejante, truena (Karttunen 1992: 301).
15 topehua = to push (Francisco Aparicio).
16 tiquincacayauhtiuh = you left them deceived (Francisco Aparicio).
17 mitztatizquia = te habían de quemar (Francisco Aparicio).
18 rainstorm or flood that sweeps away everything in its path.
19 tiquitiahci = lo llegas a decir (Francisco Aparicio).
20 quixotaltitecozque = lo van a prender (Francisco Aparicio).