20 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
The words are composed of that representing the fist or half-hand, ma- 
tlactli, those of the fingers, respectively, and the particle on or om , which 
in this instance signifies to separate , to take away from the place. There¬ 
fore, matlactli-on-ce, 11, means 1 separated from the half-hand or fist; 
matlactli-om-ome, 12, 2 separated from the fist; matlacili-om-ei , 13,3 sep¬ 
arated from the fist; and matlactli-on-nahui , 14, 4 separated from the fist. 
At the end of this act of unbending the fingers, the thumb becomes itself 
the number 15, or stands for that number. And that is precisely what 
the word employed to designate it, caxtolli, means. It is formed from 
cax-acua , to loosen, tol-oa , to lower or to bend, and the suffix tli or li, 
the which; that is, he or it that has loosened the bent fingers. 
Three positions of the hand are so far brought about. It is entirely 
open for the first five numbers; for the second five numbers it is made to 
assume the form of the fist; and for the third five numbers the hand be¬ 
comes half open, in the prehensile form. If, after this latter position 
has been assumed, the thumb brings together the other fingers, or joins 
them, one by one, completing the prehensory act of the digits, not of 
the hand, then the numbers 16, 17, 18, and 19, are produced. The 
thumb separates the fingers from their prehensile position and brings 
them together. Thus, caxtollionce , 16, I separated from 15; caxtolliom- 
ome , 17, 2 separated from 15; caxtolliomei, 18, 3 separated from 15; and 
caxotllionnahui, 19, 4 separated from 15. The fingers being placed to¬ 
gether by their tips, the thumb represents now or makes the No. 20, for 
which the term cempohualli is employed. The word originates from the 
unit cem or ce; the verb po-a , to count; hual, towards here; and the 
suffix tli or li, the which; that is, cempohualli, 20, he or it that has made 
a count by bringing the fingers together. To resume, the numbers 1, 2, 3, 
4, and 5 are represented by the entirely open or stretched out hand; 
Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, by bending the fingers until the fist is formed; 
11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, by the hand in the prehensile form, half open; 
and 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, by the completion of the prehensory act by 
the tips of the fingers. 
A great deal more could be said about the matter, but this article is 
already long enough. Before closing it, however, I may say that the 
words used for the intermediate numbers from 20 to 80 are constructed 
in a very simple manner. In the first place, to the word pohualli is 
added the prefix cem for the formation of cempohualli, 20; that of om for 
the formation of ompohualli, 40; that of yei for the formation of yeipo- 
hualli, 60, and that of nauh for the formation of nauhpohualli, 80. 
These are the four progressive series, that is cemopohualli, 20; one twenty, 
or 1 multiplied by twenty; ompohualli, 40, two twenties, or 2 multiplied 
by 20; yeipohualli, 60, three twenties, or 3 multiplied by 20; and nauh¬ 
pohualli , 80, four twenties, or 4 multiplied by 20. The intermediate 
