tonalamatl

English

Etymology

From Classical Nahuatl tōnalāmatl (literally “book of days”).

Noun

tonalamatl (plural tonalamatls)

1. A divinatory almanac used in central Mexico prior to the Spanish conquest, and structured around the sacred 260-day year.

Classical Nahuatl

Etymology

From tōnalli (“day”) +‎ āmatl (“book”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [toːnaˈlaːmat͡ɬ]

Noun

tōnalāmatl (inanimate)

1. (it is) a pictorial calendrical manuscript used for divination, structured around the sacred tōnalpōhualli.
   • 1585, Bernardino de Sahagún, Arte adivinatoria de los mexicanos, f. 101r:

     AQUI COMIENÇA La Arte adiuinatoria que usaban los Mexicanos en tiempo de su ydolatria llamada: Tonalamatl. que quiere dezir libro en que trata de las venturas y fortunas delos que nacen segun los signos o caracteres en que Nacen.

     Here begins the divinatory art of the Aztecs used in their time of idolatry, called tonalamatl, which means "book that deals with the fates and fortunes of those born according to the signs or characters in which they are born."

Related terms

• tōnalpōhualli
• tōnalpōuhqui