Topilli
/toʊˈpiː.li/noun
A staff or baton, especially one symbolizing the authority of an Indigenous official in central Mexico.
Did you know?Nahuatl-speaking officials carried staffs called topilli as emblems of authority; the related Spanish-derived term topil later referred to a local community officer.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Classical Nahuatl
tōpīlli
“Staff, rod, or baton; an object associated with authority”
16th Century
Nahuatl
topilli
“A staff or baton, recorded in early colonial-era Nahuatl sources”
16th Century
Spanish
topil
“An Indigenous official or attendant, a borrowing connected with the staff of office”
19th–20th Century
English
topilli
“A Nahuatl term used in English-language historical and anthropological writing for such a staff”
Modern English
English
topilli
“A ceremonial or official staff associated with Indigenous Mexican authority”