Aztec place-names : Their meaning and mode of composition

Delving into the world of Nahuatl geography, this work opens a window onto the language that shaped the Aztec empire’s map. By examining dozens of place‑names—from bustling market towns to remote mountain valleys—it shows how every syllable carries a story about the landscape, its resources, or its people. The introductory notes make clear why mastering these names is a key step toward reading the ancient hieroglyphic inscriptions that still echo across Mexico’s ruins.

The heart of the book is a concise set of composition rules, drawn from 19th‑century scholars, that explain how nouns, adjectives, numerals and verbs combine to form a location name. Each entry follows a uniform pattern: the full name, a bracketed English gloss, then a break‑down of every element with brief definitions and occasional remarks on special cases. Sample analyses, such as “Acapan” (“place of rushes”) or “Iztacuauhtli” (“white eagle”), illustrate how sounds are trimmed or altered for euphony.

Designed for students and curious listeners alike, the text invites readers to practice decoding unfamiliar names after mastering the basics. With clear explanations and a wealth of examples, it becomes a hands‑on guide to the linguistic geography of the Aztecs, turning seemingly alien words into vivid, understandable places.