THE AZTECS 199 
word signs are rebuses in which separate syllables or 
groups of syllables are represented by more or less 
conventionalized pictures. The whole word picture 
is made up of a combination of syllable pictures which 
ote 
YY 
acy? 
meme 0 
uC’ 
fa) 
Fig. 72. Aztecan Day Signs. 
Cipactli Ehecatl Calli Cuezpallin  Coatl 
Crocodile Wind House Lizard Snake 
Miquiztli Mazatl Tochtli Atl Itzcuintle 
Death Deer Rabbit Water Dog 
Ozomatli Malinalli Acatl Ocelotl Quauhtli 
Monkey Herb | Reed Jaguar Eagle 
Cozcaquauhtli Olin Tecpatl Quiahiutl Xochitl 
Vulture Movement Stone Rain Flower 
indicate phonetically the word as a whole. Very often 
advantage is taken of puns on whole or partial words, 
while color and position are also employed to indicate 
sounds and syllables. 
In Fig. 71 are given a few of the more common 
syllable pictures. The name of the object represented 
