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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 6 



Matraca, a wooden noise-maker used as a substitute 

 for church bells during a part of Easter Week. 



Metate, the small grinding stone on which nixtamal 

 is ground. It is also used for grinding herbs, 

 tomatoes, and other kitchen ingredients, and in 

 Tzintzuntzan to prepare the pottery materials. 



Mezcal, the heart of the mezcal cactus baked in an 

 earth oven; not to be confused with the distilled 

 liquor of the same name. 



Milpa, ])roperly a cornfield; practically, any agri- 

 cultural land. 



Mole, a highly seasoned sauce used on fowl and 

 meat ; any dish prepared with mole sauce usually 

 is called ?nole. e. g., turkey mole. 



Municipio, an administrative area roughly corre- 

 sponding to a township or county. 



Naturalito, a deprecative term used by the Mestizos 

 to refer to the Tarascans. 



Nixtamal, maize grains soaked in lye water. After 

 nixtamal has been ground, either in a mechanical 

 mill, on a metate, or by both, it is known as 

 masa, from which tortillas or other maize foods 

 are prepared. 



Nopal, the prickly pear cactus. 



Ocote, the generic term for most types of pine, par- 

 ticularly pitchy varieties, splinters of the wood 

 of which are used to light fires or as a means 

 of lighting. 



Olla, a wide-mouthed clay pot with handles. 



Orillas, rich, black alluvial lake-shore milpas. 



PeJate, a mat woven of tules or palm. 



Portales, the covered sidewalks in front of buildings 

 which face the plaza in many Mexican towns. 



Pozole, a hominylike dish to which meat frequently 

 is added; since it is the chief dish served at 

 many religiously insjjired fiestas, such a function 

 is called a pozole. 



Presidencia, the municipal building of a municipio. 



Quiote, the stalk of the mezcal caclus. 



Real, a former Mexican coin, the eighth part of a 

 peso. 



Rebozo, the shawl worn by almost .tU Mexican women 

 of the lower classes. 



Rescaton, a traveling merchant who usually carries 

 his wares on mules or burros. 



Rezandero, literally "prayer." a man who recites 

 prayers, usually for a small fee, at various relig- 

 ious functions. 



Serape (also zarape), a blanket with a poncho-type 

 opening in the middle so that it can be worn 

 over the head. 



Solar, a town lot. 



Suplente, the alternate for each elected or appointed 

 government official. 



Tejamanll, a wooden shake. 



Tenencia, the political category of the larger towns 

 of a municipio, excluding the cabecera. 



Tierra caliente, literally "hot country," the lowland 

 coastal areas of Mexico. 



Tierra fria, literally "cold country,'" the cold, high- 

 land areas of Mexico. 



Tierra templada, literally "temperate country," the 

 border country between the tierra caliente and 

 the tierra fria. 



Tinaja, the ornamental burnished pottery of Tzin- 

 tzuntzan. 



Tortilla, thin maize cakes baked on the comal, the 

 staff of life in Mexico. 



Velar, the act of lighting a candle in honor of a 

 Church image. 



Ydcata (T), pyramidal stone structures built by the 

 ancient Tarascans as bases for their temples. 



Zacate, long grass used as fodder or for packing 

 pottery. 



