[Aztlan] Ball game or just ball court?
Campbell, R. Joe
campbel at indiana.edu
Mon Mar 30 21:37:12 CDT 2009
Dear Gordon,
My hazy memory was that "tlachtli" was the game -- and "tlachco" the
ball court. But your idea of looking at textual usage sent me to the
Florentine Codex, thumbing pages and running my search finger down one
column after another... |8-) Actually, I ran a search program to list
all sentences which might be coded for the morpheme <tlachtli> and
since it's one of the easy ones, I think all or most occurrences are
already coded.
To my surprise, most of the usages indicated a reference to the
court itself. So your present memory is still better than mine.
Molina's three dictionaries give results that ended up in an aborted
summary below -- "tlachtli" refers to either the game or the court. In
1555 he refers only to the game, but in both the 1571 dictionaries, he
points out the double possibility.
All the best,
Joe
Florentine:
*tlachtli ***
nahuallachco. on a magical ball court. <na:hua1-l1-tlachtli-co1>. b.2
f.14 p.239|
teotlachco. !place=teotlachco; god's ball court. <!place=teotlachco
teo:tl-tlachtli-co1>. b.2 f.12 p.186|
tezcatlachco. !place=tezcatlachco. <!place=tezcatlachco te:zcatl-
tlachtli-co1>. b.2 f.11 p.185|
tlachco. ball court; on the ball court; in a ball game. <tlachtli-
co1>. b.8 f.2 p.29|
tlachcotecatl. person of Tlachco. <tlachtli-co1-te:-catl>. b.8 f.3
p.51|
tlachcuauhyo. having a ball-court eagle design. <tlachtli-cua:uhtli-
yo:tl1>. b.10 f.4 p.64|
tlachtemalacatl. stone ring which is on a ball court. <tlachtli-tetl1-
malacatl>. b.8 f.2 p.29|
tlachtli. . <tlachtli>. b.2 f.14 p.231|
tlachtli. ball court. <tlachtli>. b.3 f.3 p.37|
from Molina:
tlachtli. batei, juego de pelota con los quadriles, o el mesmo lugar
donde juegan este juego; batel juego de pelota con las naigas; iuego
de pelota assi el lugar (assi is iuego de pelota con las nalgas);
juego de pelota con las nalgas. s. el lugar donde juegan assi.
<tlachtli>. 71m1-3|
Florentine contexts:
tlachtli
1. *nahuallachco*. nahuallachco . in the magical ball court .
<na:hua1-l1-tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.14 c.38 p.239)
2. *teotlachco*. in ohualtemoc, mec tlamelahua, in motenehua
teotlachco: . when he had come down here, then he went direct to
[the place] called the god's ball court. . <teo:tl-tlachtli-co1>
(b.2 f.9 c.34 p.145)
3. *teotlachco*. auh in onacic, in teotlachco in painal, niman ye
ixpan micoa: . and when [the priest with] paynal came to
teotlachco, then there was the slaying [of sacrificial victims]
before him. . <teo:tl-tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.11 c.38 p.176)
4. *teotlachco*. teotlachco. . teotlachco . <!place=teotlachco
teo:tl-tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.12 c.38 p.186)
5. *teotlachco*. in teotlachco: oncan miquia in intoca catca
amapantzitzin, . teotlachco: there died those named amapantzin
[impersonating the god amapan]. . <!place=teotlachco teo:tl
tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.12 c.38 p.186)
6. *tezcatlachco*. tezcatlachco. . tezcatlachco .
<!place=tezcatlachco te:zcatl-tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.11 c.38 p.185)
7. *tezcatlachco*. in tezcatlachco: no oncan micoaya, oncan miquia
in ixiptla huitznahuatl: zan quenman, amo mochipa: .
tezcatlachco: there also there was slaying; there died the
impersonator of uitznauatl--only at times, not often. .
<!place=tezcatlachco te:zcatl-tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.11 c.38 p.185)
8. *tlachco*. in oquimonmicti, mec quinhuihuilana, tlachco: . when
they had slain them, then they dragged them about the ball court.
. <tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.9 c.34 p.145)
9. *tlachco*. tlachco timotlalia . in the ball court you are set .
<tlachtli-co1> (b.2 f.14 c.38 p.239)
10. *tlachco*. mochi patolco, tlachco, quitlamia, . he used up
everything in patolli and tlachtli. . <tlachtli-co1> (b.4 f.9 c.27
p.94)
11. *tlachco*. aoc tepapatla, patolco, tlachco, ohuiti, chicuati,
quichicuatilia, anoze quimomachtia in ollatolli, patollatolli,
ollatole, patollatole: . he no longer overcame others in patolli
or tlachtli, or embarrassed, despoiled, or took all the wagers,
even though he understood the language, the rules, of tlachtli and
patolli. . <tlachtli-co1> (b.4 f.9 c.27 p.94)
12. *tlachco*. auh manozo ic onilpitinemi, ma ipatiuh mochiuhtica,
in oncan oonquetzaloc in patolco, in tlachco: ca oontlatlalililoc
in mayehuatl in quecehuatl, in nelpiloni: . but may he go bound
to it; may it become his aid when he hath been placed there in the
patolli game, in the ball game; for the glove, the leather hip
guard, the girdle have been placed on; . <tlachtli-co1> (b.6 f.5
c.13 p.64)
13. *tlachco*. ca oc yehhuatl ontenamiquiz in patolco, in tlachco:
oc yehhuatl onteollamiz, oc yehhuatl ompatoz. . for yet he is to
contend with others in the patolli game, in the ball game; he is
yet to play the ball game with others; he is yet to play patolli.
. <tlachtli-co1> (b.6 f.5 c.13 p.64)
14. *tlachco*. niman ic quitlani in ixquich tlazotli tlatquitl, auh
mochintin quintlani, in ixquichtin tetlatlattaque, in oncan
tlachco: . then he won all the costly goods, and he won
everything from all who watched there in the ball court. .
<tlachtli-co1> (b.8 f.2 c.10 p.29)
15. *tlachco*. ihuan tlacencahualo in tlachco, tlaahuililo,
tlaxalhuilo, tlachpano: . and things were arranged on the ball
court; there was sprinkling, there was sanding, there was
sweeping. . <tlachtli-co1> (b.8 f.4 c.17 p.58)
16. *tlachco*. ihuan in ixquich quitlanitoz tlatoani, in
tlazotilmatli in xomoihhuitilmatli, in tlazomaxtlatl, in
chalchiuhtentetl, teocuitlanacochtli, chalchiuhcozcatl,
teocuitlacozcatl, matzopetztli chalchihuitl huei ipan ca, tlazotl:
ihuan in ixquich tlazotilmatli, ihuan pepechtli quihualquixtia in
calpixque, quihuallalia in tlachco. . and all which the ruler was
to wager in the game -- the valued capes, the duck feather capes,
the costly breech clouts, the green stone lip plugs, the golden
ear plugs, the green stone necklaces, the golden necklaces, the
wrist bands with large, precious, green stones upon them, and all
the precious capes and bedding -- the majordomos brought out and
placed in the ball court. . <tlachtli-co1> (b.8 f.4 c.17 p.58)
17. *tlachco*. ca amo tlachco, patolco otictlali, . not in tlachtli
nor in patolli hast thou entered. . <tlachtli-co1> (b.9 f.4 c.9
p.42)
18. *tlachcotecatl*. auh in yehhuatl tlatoani: niman quinnonotza in
ixquichtin calpixque, petlacalcatl, aztacalcatl: cuauhnahuac
calpixqui, huaxtepec calpixqui, cuetlaxtecatl: tochpanecatl:
tziuhcoacatl, tepecuacuilcatl, huappanecatl, coaixtlahuacatl,
tlappanecatl, tlachcotecatl, matlatzincatl, ocuiltecatl,
xilotepecatl, atotonilcatl, axocopanecatl, itzcuincuitlapilcatl,
atocpanecatl, ayotzintepecatl, . the ruler then consulted with
all the majordomos -- the men of the petlacalco and of the
aztacalco, the majordomos of quauhnauac and uaxtepec, and [those]
of cuetlaxtlan, tochpan, tziuhcoac, tepequacuilco, uapan,
coatlixtlauacan, tlappan, tlachco, matlatzinco, ocuillan,
xilotepec, atotonilco, axocopan, itzcuincuitlapilco, atocpan, and
ayotzintepec. . <tlachtli-co1-te:-catl> (b.8 f.3 c.17 p.51)
19. *tlachcuauhyo*. inic tlanamaca, quipantilia in quinamaca,
yoltica, yancuic, cualli, chicahuac, tlamachyo, tlamachtilmatli:
apantilmatli, tlahcohuitecqui, tlachcuauhyo, tonatiuh onmani,
tohtonatiuhio, ocelotilmatli, ocelotl, cuauhtli onicac,
ihhuimoyahuac, tetemalacayo, xochimoyahuac, xochiteteyo,
xoxochiteyo, cohuaxayacayo, ixnextlacuilollo, tezzacanecuillo,
tlalpiloni ontemi, nochpaltilmatli, tlauhtilmatli,
xochpallaxochio, tlahcalhuaztilmatli, tlacalhuaz tlaxochio,
tlalpilli, colotlalpilli, teneh, tlatentilli, tenchilnahuayo,
tenixyo, tenmolonqui, tempozonqui, tenmimiliuhqui, tenchapanqui. .
In order to deal, he seeks out that which he sells: the fresh, the
new, the good, the strong, the designed -- designed capes, capes
to be worn; those of a weave not compressed; those of a ball-court
eagle design, those with a sun design on them -- provided with
suns; ocelot capes -- the ocelot, the eagle stand thereon; those
with a design of scattered flowers, a design of stone discs, a
scattered flower design; with flowered borders -- with flowers on
the border; with serpent mask designs; those painted with bloodied
faces; those with a curved labret, with bead pendants extending;
carmine-colored capes, red capes, those with yellow flower
designs; capes with the blowgun design -- those with the blowgun
design with flowers; netted capes, scorpion-colored netted capes;
those having a border, having a trimming, having red eyelets --
bordered with eyes; having fluffed, frayed borders, rolled seams,
fringed borders. . <tlachtli-cua:uhtli-yo:tl1> (b.10 f.4 c.17
p.64)
20. *tlachtemalacatl*. auh in itech tlachmatl, ontetl
tlachtemalacatl manca, . and on the walls were two stone, ball
court rings. . <tlachtli-tetl1-malacatl> (b.8 f.2 c.10 p.29)
21. *tlachtli*. tlachtli icpac, huel in cuica quetzalcoxcox, . over
the ball court the fine pheasant sings . <tlachtli> (b.2 f.14 c.38 p.231)
22. *tlachtli*. i cecni quitecac tlachtli zan moch tetl, .
elsewhere he built a ball court all of stone. . <tlachtli> (b.3
f.3 c.14 p.37)
23. *tlachtli*. quitlanitoa in ixquich tlazotli in teocuitlatl, in
teocuitlacozcatl, in chalchihuitl, in teoxihuitl, in tlazotli, in
tlazotilmatli, in tlazomaxtlatl, in milli, in calli, cotzehuatl,
teocuitlamatemecatl, quetzalmachoncotl, xomoihhuitilmatli,
cacahuapetlatl in oncan netlanihua, itoca tlachtli: . they
wagered [in this game] all [manner of] costly goods -- gold,
golden necklaces, green stone, fine turquoise, slaves, precious
capes, valuable breech clouts, cultivated fields, houses, leather
leg bands, gold bracelets, arm bands of quetzal feathers, duck
feather capes, bales of cacao -- [these] were wagered there in the
game called tlachtli. . <tlachtli> (b.8 f.2 c.10 p.29)
24. *tlachtli*. auh in oncan huel inepantla tlachtli, onoca tlecotl
tlaxotlalli in tlalli, . and there, in the very center of the
ball court, was a line, drawn upon the ground. . <tlachtli> (b.8
f.2 c.10 p.29)
Quoting Gordon Whittaker <gwhitta at gwdg.de>:
> Dear John and Joe,
>
> Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't tlachtli just the ball court, not
> the ball game itself? The Spanish use of 'juego' tends to blur the
> distinction, but do we actually have clear cases in Nahuatl texts of the
> term being used for the game? Tlachtli looks to me like a loan from
> Zapotec, as I think I may have argued in my dissertation. My memory's not
> what it used to be.
>
> Best,
> Gordon
>
>>
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