tonalpohualiztli

Classical Nahuatl

FWOTD – 7 December 2015

Etymology

From tōnalpōhua (“to divine by signs, to determine a holiday”) +‎ -liztli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /toːnalpoːˈwalist͡ɬi/

Noun

tōnalpōhualiztli

1. Divination using signs and dreams.

   • 1571: Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, f. 149v. col. 1.

     tonalpoaliztli. adiuinacion assi.

     (tonalpoaliztli. divination in this manner.) (see quotations at tōnalpōhua)

2. The figuring of holidays using the Aztec calendar.

Related terms

• tōnalpōhualli

References

• “tonalpohualiztli” in the Nahuatl Dictionary, University of Oregon, 2011.