yacaxihuitl

Classical Nahuatl

FWOTD – 18 April 2016

Alternative forms

• yacaxiuitl, yaca xiuitl (obsolete spellings)

Etymology

From yacatl (“nose”) +‎ xihuitl (“turquoise”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ja.kaˈʃi.wit͡ɬ]

Noun

yacaxihuitl (inanimate)

1. A turquoise piece worn on the nose as jewelry.
   • 1571, Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, f. 96r. col. 1:

     Piedras precioſas, con que adornauan las narizes / los nobles.yaca xiuitl.

     Precious stones, with which the nobles adorned their noses. yaca xiuitl.

   • Idem, f. 115v. col. 1.

     Turqueſa conque adornauan las narizes los caci / ques. yacaxiuitl. ſ. piedras preciosas cõque ador / nauã lo de ẽcima delas ventanas delas narizes.

     A turquoise with which the chieftains adorned their noses. yacaxiuitl. precious stones with which they adorned the part of the nose above the nostrils.

   • Idem, f. 30v. col. 1.

     Yacaxiuitl. turq̃ſa o piedra precioſa con que cõ / ponian y aodrnauan los nobles las narizes.

     Yacaxiuitl. a turquoise or precious stone with which the nobles adorned or dressed up their noises.

References

• Alonso de Molina (1571) Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, Editorial Porrúa, pages 96r, 115v, 30v