Amoxtli
/aːˈmoʃ.tɬi/noun
A book, manuscript, or painted codex in Classical Nahuatl, especially one made from bark paper or another prepared material.
Did you know?Amoxtli is the Nahuatl term used for the painted manuscripts now called Aztec or Mexica codices, many of which recorded calendars, genealogies, tribute, and religious knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
āmoxtli
“Book, manuscript, or painted record”
16th Century
Classical Nahuatl
āmoxtli
“Book or written document, recorded in early colonial Nahuatl sources”
16th Century
Spanish
amoxtli
“An Indigenous Nahuatl term retained by Spanish chroniclers and scholars for native books or codices”
19th–20th Century
English
amoxtli
“A specialized scholarly term for a Nahuatl or Mesoamerican book or codex”
Modern English
English
amoxtli
“A Nahuatl book, manuscript, or codex, especially in discussions of Indigenous Mesoamerican writing”
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