altepetl

English

Etymology

From Classical Nahuatl āltepētl, from ātl tepētl, literally “water [and] hill”.

Noun

altepetl (plural altepetls or altepemeh)

1. A Nahua community; a pueblo.

Anagrams

• pallette, platelet

Central Huasteca Nahuatl

Noun

altepetl

1. city.

Central Nahuatl

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [aːɬˈte.peːt͡ɬ]

Noun

āltepētl (inanimate)

1. (Amecameca, Cholula, Milpa Alta, Texcoco and Tlaxcala): City.

References

• Herrera López, Hermilo (2015); Diccionario de la lengua Náhuatl de Texcoco, Instituto Mexiquense de los pueblos indígenas. Academia de la lengua náhuatl de Texcoco, Mexico City, Mexico.
• Medina, Genaro. (1999) Curso de Nahuatl, University of Americas, Cholula, Puebla.

Classical Nahuatl

Etymology

A contraction of ātl tepētl, compound of ātl (“water”) +‎ tepētl (“hill”), two constituents perceived as being essential for life. The compound is odd in retaining the l of ātl; the expected compound would be *ātepētl.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aːltepeːt͡ɬ/
• IPA^(key): [aːɬ.ˈté.peːt͡ɬ]

Noun

āltepētl (animate, plural āltepēmeh)

1. (inanimate, not pluralized) altepetl; a town or city.
2. (animate, pluralized) The people of an altepetl.
   • 17C: Chimalpahin, Record of the Arrival of the Mexica Azteca When They Came Here to Mexico Tenochtitlan

     oncan ynpan acico yn chicuey altepeme macehualtin oncan chanonoque yn culhuacan

     (They there arrived among the people of the eight altepetl domiciled in Culhuacan)

Synonyms

• ātl tepētl

Derived terms

• āltepēcuāxōchtli
• āltepēhuah
• āltepēmāitl
• āltepētenāmitl
• āltepētepāntli
• āltepētlālli

References

• Andrews, J. Richard (2003) Workbook for Introduction to Classical Nahuatl, revised edition, University of Oklahoma Press, page 205
• Chimalpahin Cuauhtlehuanitzin, Domingo Francisco de San Antón Muñón (1997) Arthur J. O. Anderson, Susan Schroeder, transl., Codex Chimalpahin, volume 2, University of Oklahoma Press, pages 18–19
• Karttunen, Frances (1983) An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl, University of Texas Press, page 9
• Lockhart, James (2001) Nahuatl as Written, Stanford University Press, page 210

Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl

Etymology

Cognate to Classical Nahuatl āltepētl.

Noun

altepetl (plural altepetini)

1. altepetl, city, town.

Western Huasteca Nahuatl

Etymology

From Classical Nahuatl āltepētl.

Noun

altepetl

1. city.