Centuries-old Language of Mesoamerica Denotes Words of Birds

Prepared in 1571 by Fray Alonso de Molina, the "Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana" conveys a dictionary of particular words of talk ... the vocabulary of a particular people.

Nahuatl was a predominant in the language of Mesoamerica as the local people were subjugated in the Spanish conquest of Mexico in America, five centuries ago.

Nahua woman as illustrated in the Florentine Codex, one of the most important documents of historic ornithology in North America, as also shown in images and text of birds they knew as previously noted. The speech scroll indicates this woman is speaking.

Among the terms of the language, many refer to birds and related items. The details are is one of the first known dictionaries with bird notes among the historic chronicles. The entire lexicon is most interesting, but within the following are pertinent terms from the whole mix.

The subsequent items are given alphabetically according to a modern equivalent, with each entry also having the term as designated in the dictionary, with the native language word, and descriptive notes, if included.

¶ Ani - Ani - ixcauhtôtô-tl - ani, a bird that eats ticks off domestic animals

¶ Beak - Beak - tehuitz-tli - bill, beak, pointed stone

¶ Bird - A type of brightly colored bird - mimiyahuatzin

¶ Bird - Bird - acahuatôtô-tl - a small yellow or blue bird with gray on the back

¶ Bird - Bird - axoxoctzin - a type of bird with green plumage

¶ Bird - Bird - chohchoc - a type of bird

¶ Bird - Bird - quiyauhtôtô-tl - a type of bird

¶ Bird - Bird - tôtô-tl - plural: tôtô-meh

¶ Bird - Bird - zacapihpitztôn - a type of bird

¶ Bird (female) - Female bird - cihuatôtô-tl - plural: cihuatoto-meh

¶ Cardinal - Cardinal - chiltôtô-tl - plural: chiltoto-meh

¶ Chatter - Chatter - tlahtoa - for birds to chatter

¶ Chatter - Chatter - (I)hcahuaca - for people or birds to make a lot of noise

¶ Chicken (male) - Chicken, rooster - cuanaca

¶ Copulation - Copulation - tlaquequetz(a) - for a male bird to copulate with the female

¶ Crest - Crest - chichiquil-li - crest; guiding feathers on a spear

¶ Crest - Feather crest - cuachichiquil-li

¶ Crow - Crow - cacalô-tl; plural cacalo-meh

¶ Dove - Dove - côcotetzin - plural: huilo-meh

¶ Dove - Dove - huilô-tl - plural: huilo-meh

¶ Dove - Dove - tlalacate-tl - plural: tlalacate-meh

¶ Dove - Dove, mourning - cocoh-tli

¶ Duck - Duck - canauh-tli

¶ Eagle - Eagle - cuauh-tli

¶ Egg - Egg - totolte-tl - plural: totolte-meh

¶ Egg (lay) - Lay eggs - tlatlaz(a) - to lay eggs

¶ Egg shell - Egg shell - tôtoltecacahua-tl

¶ Falcon, Laughing - Large bird with a distinctive call known in Spanish as pajaro vaguero - huactzin - Herpetotheres cochinans

¶ Flamingo, American - Flamingo, Roseate Spoonbill - quechôl-li - bird with red plumage; flamingo or roseate spoonbill

¶ Flycatcher - Mexican flycatcher - cacalachtôtô-tl

¶ Grackle - Grackle - tzana-tl - plural: tzana-meh

¶ Guan, Crested - Crested Guan - cuauhtôtol-in - Penelope purpurascens

¶ Hawk - Hawk - cuix-in - large bird of prey, hawk; plural: cuix-in

¶ Hummingbird - Hummingbird - huitzacatzin

¶ Hummingbird - Hummingbird - huitzil-in

¶ Hummingbird - Hummingbird - huitztzitziquih - plural: huitztzitziquih-meh

¶ Kestrel, American - Hawk, especially the sparrow hawk - tloh-tli

¶ Kestrel, American - Sparrowhawk - copactecolô-tl - plural: copactecolo-meh

¶ Nest - Bird's nest - tapahzol-li

¶ Nest - Bird's nest - tlaxopoch-tli - plural: tlaxopoch-meh

¶ Oriole - Oriole - coztictôtô-tl - plural: coztictoto-meh

¶ Oriole - Oriole - cuauhtzictôtô-tl - a type of oriole that eat sap

¶ Osprey - Osprey - cahuix-in - plural: cahuix-meh

¶ Owl - Owl - chich-tli - plural: chich-meh

¶ Owl - Owl - chicuahtôtò-tl - a bird that resembles a barn owl

¶ Owl - Owl - cuauhxaxaca - a type of horned owl

¶ Owl - Owl - tecolô-tl - plural: tetecoloh - tecolômeh; owl, louse

¶ Owl - Owl - tololoh

¶ Owl - Owl - xaxaca

¶ Owl, Barn - Barn owl - chicuah-tli - plural: chicuah-meh

¶ Parakeet - Parakeet - coyôtzin

¶ Plumage - Plumage - quetzal-li - plumage of the quetzal bird, a trogon with long green feathers - Pharomachrus mocinno, the Resplendent Quetzal

¶ Poultry - Domestic fowl - tôtol-in - includes turkey, chickens

¶ Quail - Quail - zôl-in - plural: zôlin-tin

¶ Quail - Partridge - chihuihcoyô

¶ Ring-dove - Ringdove - tochtecolô-tl -

¶ Roadrunner - Roadrunner - metlapiltetzotzontzin -

¶ Scratch - Scratch - tlaxeloa - for a chicken to scratch, scattering earth around

¶ Solitaire, Brown-backed - Brown-backed solitaire - centzontlahtoleh - Myadestes obscurus

¶ Spoonbill, Roseate - Bird with rich red plumage - tlauhquechôl - rich red plumage, bird of such plumage, roseate spoonbill or flamingo

¶ Swallow - Swallow - ahuacatzin

¶ Swallow - Swallow - cuicuitzca-tl - plural: cuicuitzca-meh

¶ Turkey - Turkey - huehxôlô-tl - plural: huehuehxôloh ; huehxôlômeh

¶ Turkey - Turkey - hueitôtol-in - a type of wild bird, probably the wild turkey

¶ Turkey (beard) - Beard of a turkey - eltzon-tli

¶ Turkey (cock) - Old turkey cock - huehxôlôhuehueh

¶ Turkey (hen) - Turkey hen - huehxôlôilama

¶ Turkey (hen) - Turkey hen - zohuahuehxôlô-tl

¶ Turkey (hen) - Turkey hen - zohuatôtol

¶ Vulture - Buzzard - tzopilo-tl - plural: tzopilo-meh

¶ Wing - Wing - ahtlapal-li - wing; leaf

¶ Wing - Wing - matlapal-li - plural: matlapal-tin

¶ Woodpecker - Woodpecker - cuauhquequex

¶ Wren, Canyon - Canon wren - texixictôn - plural: texixictonôn; Catherpes mexicanus

This terminology is derived from middle American, down south in the Mexico realm centuries ago, and convey details for birds five centuries ago, another first among the chronicles with ornithology about those times long gone, yet still appreciated.