oceloquichtli

Classical Nahuatl edit

FWOTD – 31 May 2020

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Jaguar warrior

Wikipedia

A jaguar warrior holding a macuahuitl sword and shield.

Etymology edit

From ocēlōtl (“jaguar”) +‎ oquichtli (“warrior”).

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /oˈseː.loː.kitʃtɬi/

Noun edit

ocēlōquichtli (plural ocēlōquichtin)

jaguar warrior, jaguar knight (member of the Aztec military elite)
- 1645, Horacio Carochi, Arte de la lengua mexicana, (4.6.1).
  amoyölïcàtzin mocëloquichtine, tocnïhuäne: cämpa öanhuällàquè? huel anmiequïntin: auh ca çannötitèhuän; tiquìtoà, àçomà oc azcentlamantin.
  welcome o jaguar warriors, our friends; where do you come from? You are very many: and you are from our nation, we understood that you were from another caste.
- 1949, Aztekische Schriftsprache; Grammatik mit Lautlehre, page 170:
  cf. cuiloa. oceloquichtli Jaguarmann, met. für tapferer Krieger; cf. oquichtli + ocelotl; . aber oquichocelotl = Jaguarmännchen.
  cf. painting. oceloquichtli Jaguar man, met. for brave warrior; cf. oquitchli + ocelotl; . but oquichocelotl = Jaguar men.

Usage notes edit

Some scholars, such as J. Lockhart, instead parse this word as moceloquichtli, with the first element being instead from mocel (“you alone”). The only attestations are in the vocative, leaving the correct lemma form in dispute.

References edit

Gran Diccionario Náhuatl