AZTEC Glyphs and their meaning

The writing systems Mesoamerican cultures are not entirely similar to those we know in European areas, possessing very special characteristics that are difficult to find in western cultures of the same period temporary. One of these uncommon elements from our European vision is that of glyphs, and that is why in this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to talk about glyphsaztecsYits meaning, to understand these interesting elements of the great empire of Mesoamerica.

The Aztec or Mexica writing was a writing system based on the Nahuatl language It was used by the settlers of the great Aztec empire and by many of the peoples who were dominated or influenced by its great power. This writing system was used by all social classes of the great Mexica civilization, serving so that centuries later we are able to know in great part its history by these signs, not only to understand the great social classes, but also for all the class of Mexica.

The aztec language used a lot of elements to use his

writing, but one of the most relevant and that gives name to this lesson are the glyphs. Glyphs are representations like images that can be used for numerous actions, being especially known to facilitate language and being very similar, for example, to the well-known Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The widespread use of glyphs in Aztec writing seems to show that it was a very important element for the written communication within the Aztec people, although we are not totally sure that it was the entire population that used them or if it was only used by the most cultured or wealthy classes.

Glyphs in Aztec writing could be used for different elements being a complement to a language already very complex and in which something was necessary that could cut its extensive vocabulary.

What were these pre-Hispanic symbols used for?

There are many reasons to use the glyphs, some of them being the following:

• Use of glyphs for represent syllables, similar to how it is used in some current Asian languages.
• Glyphs used for monosyllables, similar to the use of hieroglyphs in Egypt.
• Glyphs that represent highly relevant letters, an example being the "A" which, depending on whether it was accompanied, could be a glyph or not.
• Glyphs that represented specific words, being especially common those that made reference to gods or very specific and commented elements in the Aztec language, being common to see them in representations to refer to a certain appearance.

To continue with this lesson on Aztec glyphs and their meaning We must list different types of glyphs of the Mexica culture and explain what was their reason for existing, dividing the following glyphs into different sections depending on their use or meaning.

Glyphs to represent places

One of the great uses of glyphs in the Aztec language was to refer to locations or cities, serving to avoid having to write the whole names of these places. Next we are going to list some of these glyphs, being the ones that we consider most relevant. The glyphs to represent the most relevant places are the following:

• Texcoco: A mountain on which a flower blooms and surrounded by an arm.
• Tlacopan: Flowers on a flat land.
• Cihuatlan: A woman with a yellow face.
• Ocuilan: A kind of black worm.
• Mazatlan: A deer head.
• Ahuatepec: Oak or oak that throws water from its branches.

Glyphs to represent common words

The most common use of Aztec glyphs was to represent common words and cut back on the vocabulary used so as not to have to put the whole word. Some of the main common words for which glyphs exist are as follows:

• Tlantli: Two teeth in flesh representing teeth.
• Kalli: A kind of white square shape that represents the house.
• Apan: A body of water on a surface that represents the river.
• Aztatl: A bird that represents a heron.
• Poktli: Three black symbols in the air that represent smoke.
• Sitlalli: A red and white ball that represents a star.
• Yolotl: A red ball with a crown representing the heart.
• Tenamitl: A blue fence that represents a wall.
• Tlalli: A trail with a brown square underneath that represents land.

Glyphs used in the Aztec calendar

The Aztec calendar was based on a book known as Tonalpohualli, in each one of the glyphs formed one of the days that contained one of the months. The glyphs that represented the Aztec days were the following:

• Cipactli: An alligator or crocodile.
• Ehécatl: A face that represented the wind.
• Calli: The same glyph that represented the house.
• Cuetzpallin: A lizard.
• Coatl: A snake.
• Miquiztli: A skull that represents death.
• Mazatl: A deer, different from the usual sign for deer.
• Tochtli: A rabbit.
• Atl: A river overflowing to represent water.
• Itzcuintli: A dog.
• Ozomatli: A monkey.
• Malinalli: A glyph representing grass.
• Acatl: A rod or spear.
• Ocelotl: A jaguar.
• Cuauhtli: The head of an eagle.
• Cozcacuauhtli: The head of a buzzard.
• Ollin: A kind of shield to represent movement.
• Tecpatl: A rhombus that represents the stone.
• Quiahuitl: A glyph representing the god of rain.
• Xochitl: A flower.