Revolutionary Nahuatl, Part III
December 2024.
In pivotal, monumental times such as these, Indigenous languages can help us resist and rise up.
1. “Ma tiquintlanizqueh aquihqueh in yancuic mahcoquizqueh.”
Let us defeat those who once again placed themselves above us.
—Emiliano Zapata, April 27, 1918
Pronunciation: mah tee-keen-tlah-NEES-keh ah-KEE’-keh een YAHN-kweek mah’-koh-KEES-keh
- ma = let it be that
- ti- = 1st person plural subject prefix (we)
- quin- = 3rd person plural object prefix (them)
- tlani = defeat
- -zqueh = plural future
- aquihqueh = those
- in = who
- yancuic = newly, again
- m- = 3rd person reflexive prefix
- ahcoquiza = place above others for profit or power
- queh = plural
2. “Ma tictehuicah necah ahmocualli oquichtli, tonochtin, huel yehhuatl tecococayo.”
Let all of us fight against that evil man, for he is truly our misery.
— Emiliano Zapata, April 18, 1918
Pronunciation: mah teek-te-WEE-kah NEH-kah ah’-moh-KWAHL-lee oh-KEECH-tlee toh-NOHCH-teen wel YEH’wahtl teh-koh-koh-KAH-yo
- ma = let it be that
- ti- = we
- -c- = him
- tehui = fight (lit. strike with a stone)
- -can = plural
- necah = yon, that
- ahmocualli = evil
- oquichtli = man
- tonochtin = all of us (variant of timochtin)
- huel = very, truly
- yehhuatl = he
- te- = of people
- cococayotl = misery, torment
3. Ma mochipa iuh tlami tlanehnequi. May all greedy tyrants end up thus.(Sic semper tyrannis.)
Pronunciation: mah moh-CHEE-pah eew TLAH-mee tlah-neh’-NEH-kee
- ma = let it be that
- mochipa = always
- iuh = thus, like this
- tlami = come to an end, finish, wind up
- tlanehnequi = tyrant who can’t stop greedily hoarding power, money, and goods.
4. Telchitl. He had it coming.
Pronunciation: TEL-cheetl
- Specifically, this word means “someone who gets what he deserves.” It can also name an emotion like schadenfreude — “taking delight when someone gets their comeuppance.”
5. Xitlanexti yohuan. Shine in the darkness.
Pronunciation: shee-tlah-NESH-tee YOH-wahn
- xi- = imperative
- tlanextia = shine, reveal hidden things
- yohuan = in the darkness, at night
6. Tetlatzacuiltiani. Vigilante.
Pronunciation: teh-tlah-tsah-kweel-tee-AH-nee)
Example:
Anca totech monequi ce tetlatzacuiltiani.
Maybe we need a vigilante.
- te- = indefinite object pronoun (“people”)
- tla- = ind. obj. pron. (“things”)
- tzacuiltia = make someone close something; metaphorically, punish someone
- -ni = agent suffix (“doer”)
7. Ohtemoa, ohteca.
To seek out the path to our foes or blaze a new one to reach them.
Pronunciation: oh’-teh-MOH-ah, oh’-TEH-kah
Example:
Monequi tohtemozqueh, tohtecazqueh inic ticpohpolozqueh.
We need to find or blaze a trail to our foe so we can destroy him.
- oh[tli] — road, path
- temoa — to seek something
- teca — to lay out, extend, or spread something
Note: This verb is often used when discussing the actions of a tequihuah, a veteran fighter, aka “ohtemoani” or “seeker of paths to the enemy.”
8. Aoquic tipololozqueh. We will never again be erased.
Pronunciation: ah-OH-keek tee-poh-loh-LOHS-keh’
- Aoquic = never again
- ti-” is the prefix for first person plural (“we”)
- pololo = be erased (from poloa, to erase)
- -z = future tense
- -queh = plural marker
9. Mochi motlacapoh monequi ticmahuizoz.
You must respect all your fellow human beings.
Pronunciation: MOH-chee moh-tlah-KAH-poh’ moh-NEH-kee teek-mah-WEE-sohs
- mochi = all
- mo- = your
- tlacapoh = fellow humans
- monequi = it is needed that
- t- = 2nd person singular suffix prefix (you)
- -c- = 3rd pers. sing. obj. prefix (s/he)
- mahuizoa = respect, venerate, revere, feel awe
- -z = future tense marker
Note that “tlacapoh” derives from “tlacatl” or “human” and “-poh” a suffix indicating a member of a shared community or category. “Mochi motlacapoh” is actually a singular construction (all your-fellow-human) working as a plural (which is very common in Nahuatl; in fact, inanimate nouns are almost always spoken of in grammatically singular ways in the “Classical” variant. “Mochintin motlacapohqueh” is the full plural.
10. Ma xohtlazani xiye. Be an obstacle.
Pronunciation: mah shoh’-tlah-SAH-nee SHEE-yeh
- ma = indicates imperative-optative mood
- x- = imperative prefix before vowels
- ohtlazani = obstacle (“road-blocker”)
- ye = form of the irregular verb “cah” (to physically be)
11. Ca cuitlapopol mochin tlapixqueh. All c0ps are b@st@rds. ACAB.
Pronunciation: kah kwee-tlah-POH-pohl MOH-cheen tlah-PEESH-keh’
- ca = marker of declaration (it’s true that)
- cuitlapopol = big pieces of shit
- mochin = all
- tlapixqueh = cops (“thing-guarders”)
Note: Cops are “tlapixqueh” (thing-guarders) rather than “tepixqueh” (people-guarders). Because that’s all they care about. Things. Specifically, things owned by the rich and the government. Not people. Not most of us, at least. CEOs, sure. Children in schools? Not so much.
12. Ca ichtequiliztli in “tlachihualyollohcayotl”.
“Artificial intelligence” is theft.
- Ca = statement marker
- ichtequiliztli (eech-teh-kee-LEES-tlee) theft
- in = the
- tlachihualyollohcayotl (tlah-CHEE-wal-yol-loh’-KAY-yotl) = artificial intelligence
Note: “tlachihualyollohcayotl” is a neologism, made up of “tlachihual-” (artificial, man-made) and “yollohcayotl” (intelligence, adroitness, creativity, soul, “heart-ful-ness”).
