Tlacuiloliztli
/t͡ɬa.kwi.loːˈlist͡ɬi/noun
A Classical Nahuatl noun meaning writing, painting, or the act of recording information in painted form.
Did you know?In Nahua culture, tlacuilos—trained painter-scribes—recorded history, tribute, genealogy, and ritual knowledge in manuscripts now called codices.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Nahuan
Proto-Nahuan
*tlakwilōa
“Reconstructed ancestor associated with marking, painting, or writing; the precise prehistoric form is uncertain.”
16th Century
Classical Nahuatl
tlacuiloa
“To write, paint, or record pictorially.”
16th Century
Classical Nahuatl
tlacuilōlli
“Something written or painted; a written or painted record.”
16th Century
Classical Nahuatl
tlacuiloliztli
“The act or practice of writing, painting, or making a record.”
Modern period
English scholarly usage
tlacuiloliztli
“A specialized loanword used in scholarship concerning Nahua writing, painting, and manuscript traditions.”
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