Central Nahuatl

Noun

macehualli ‎(inanimate)

1. people.

References

• Mancilla Sepúlveda, Héctor. (2002) Lecciones de Nahuatl, Hirata Editorial, México DF. p. 158.
• Medina, Genaro. (1999) Curso de Nahuatl, University of Americas, Cholula, Puebla p. 88.

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

• mācēhualli
• maceualli
• macevalli
• maçehualli
• masehualli

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maːseːwalli/

Noun

mācēhualli (plural mācēhualtin)

1. A commoner; a subject; a vassal.
   • 1524, Bernardino de Sahagún, Coloquios y doctrina cristiana

     ca timacehualtin, tipolihuini timiquini, yeh mahca timiquican, yeh mahca tipolihuican, tel ca teteo in omicque.

   • 1645: Horacio Carochi, Arte de la lengua mexicana con la declaración de todos sus adverbios

     Cuix molhuil, cuix momàcehual in timācēhualli in tinēntlācatl, inic ināhuac titlaquāz in motlàtòcāuh? mereces tu hombre plebeyo, y de nonada comer con tu señor.

   • 1649: Luis Laso de la Vega, Huei tlamahuiçoltica...

     çe momaçehualtzin noTla huei cocoliztli in itech omotlali

2. An Indian; an indigenous person.
   • c. 1540–1580: Book 12 the Florentine Codex

     Auh niman in iehoan Españoles, quitlalique in quauhtematlatl in mumuzticpac, inic quintepachozq̄ in macevaltin.

   • 1607: Chimalpahin, journal

     Yhuan yn ypan in omoteneuh metztli miyequintin atlan micque yn matlanhuique macehualtin .

   • Late 1600s: annals of Puebla

     auh niman yn justisiatlaca oquinnotzque yn masehualtzitzintin

References

• Karttunen, Frances. (1983) An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl, University of Texas Press, p. 127.
• Lockhart, James. (2001) Nahuatl as Written, Stanford University Press, p. 223.