oceloquichtli
Classical Nahuatl
Etymology
From ocēlōtl (“jaguar”) + oquichtli (“warrior”).
Pronunciation
Noun
ocēlōquichtli (plural ocēlōquichtin)
- Jaguar warrior, jaguar knight, members of the Aztec military elite.
- 1645, Horacio Carochi, Arte de la lengua mexicana, (4.6.1).
- 1949, Aztekische Schriftsprache; Grammatik mit Lautlehre, p. 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.
- cf. cuiloa. oceloquichtli Jaguarmann, met. für tapferer Krieger; cf. oquichtli + ocelotl; . aber oquichocelotl = Jaguarmännchen.
Usage notes
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.