ayotzin

Pipil

Etymology

From at (“water”) +‎ -yot (“a thing abundantly owning...”) +‎ -tzin (“diminutive”). From Proto-Nahuan *aayootl, from Proto-Uto-Aztecan *aya-wɨt-ta (“big tortoise”). Cognate with Classical Nahuatl āyōtl (“turtle, tortoise”).

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /aˈjut͡siŋ/

Noun

ayotzin (plural ayotzitzin or ayotzitzinmet)

1. turtle, tortoise

   Ne ayotzin quinaya ne itehtecciz tic ne axal

   The turtle hides its eggs in the sand