Huitzilopochtli

See also: huitzilopochtli

English

Huitzilopochtli as depicted in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis.

Alternative forms

• Uitzilopochtli
• Vitzilopuchtli, Vitzliputzli (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish Huitzilopochtli, from a Nahuatl language; compare Classical Nahuatl Huitzilopochtli.

Proper noun

Huitzilopochtli

1. An important god of the Mexica.
   • 1578, Thomas Nicholas, transl., The Pleasant Historie of the Conquest of the VVeast India, London: Henry Bynneman, translation of Historia general de las Indias by Francisco López de Gómara, page 78:

     after Sacrifice made to the Goddes of warre, called Tezcatlipuca and Vitzilopuchtli of their carkaſſes, then is theyr fleſhe eaten in banquet

   • 1625, Samuel Purchas, Purchas His Pilgrimes, volume 3, London: William Stansby, page 1002:

     They did worſhip the Idoll Vitzliputzli, the Deuill that was in this Idoll ſpake, and gouerned this Nation eaſily.

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

• huitzilopochtli, Vitzilubuchtli (obsolete or historical spellings)

Etymology

From huītzilin (“hummingbird”) +‎ ōpōchtli (“left, left-hand side”), literally “hummingbird's left”, or perhaps “hummingbird's south”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [wiːt͡siloːˈpoːt͡ʃ.t͡ɬi]

Proper noun

Huītzilōpōchtli anim

1. (he is) the hummingbird's left side; the god Huitzilopochtli.
   • 16C: Bernardino de Sahagún, Florentine Codex, first book

     Vitzilubuchtli: çan maceoalli, çan tlacatl catca: naoalli, tetzaujtl, atlacacemelle, teixcuepaj: quijiocoianj in iaoiutl, iaotecanj, iaotlatoanj:

   • 17C: Crónica Mexicayotl

     auh yntlapial catca quitlatlauhtiaya quiteomatia yn aquin quitocayotiaya tetzahuitl huitzilopochtli.

Derived terms

• huītzilōpōchcah
• Huītzilōpōchco