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Search Issues: Update 2026-09-16 - Repairs to some of our search pages are ongoing. Thank you for your continued patience!
Meanwhile, elements of the Advanced Search are working and the Alphabetical Listings are working, too.
(a loanword from Spanish)
spirit; part of phrase espíritu santo or espíritu sancto (Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit)
(a loanword from Latin through Spanish)
See an image that represents espiritu in the Visual Lexicon of Aztec Hieroglyphs, ed. Stephanie Wood (Eugene, Ore.: Wired Humanities, 2020-present).
in spiritu sancto in ipan omixeuhtzino in huilotl = the Holy Ghost, Who took the form of a dove (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
omatzayan in ilhuicatl, auh niman quimottili in sp̄ū sancto. ye on ma huilotzintli ipā omixeuhtzino ipantzinco ohualmotemohui = The sky split open, and then He saw the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove that descended upon Him. (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
ynomine patri et fili et espiliton ston ame jesos = In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen. Jesus. (Azcapotzalco, 1738)
"This, the will of the sellers' grandfather referred to in the text above, was pasted onto the last leaf of the record of the proceedings. It appears to have been written by Esteban Diego himself, in a very idiosyncratic style, and the latter part gives clear evidence of the extremity of the writer's condition."
Ma ximopaquiltitie in titlaçonemactzin dios spiritu sancto = May you be joyful, you who are the precious wife of God the Holy Spirit. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
ma mochipa mitictzinco oye yn espiritu ssancto (and same again) (San Pedro Huehuetlan, Soconusco, 1565)
espu— sancto (Tlaxcala, 1566)
epiritu santo (Xochimilco, 1572)
Ma yehuatzin Spu— Sancto ytlan moyetztie yn cenca mahuiztic amatlaçoanimantzin (Mexico City, 1587)
yn ssantisima trinidad yn dios tetatzin yn [dios] tepiltzin yn dios espu santo (Coyoacan, 1588)
sanctissima trinidat dios tetatzin dios tepiltzin dios espu sancto y ça ce huell nelli dios (San Bartolomé Atenco, Coyoacan, 1617)
santissima trinidad dios tetatzin dios tepiltzin dios espiritu sto can (sic) ce huel nelli dios (Coyoacan, 1622)
ma dios espirito santo motlantzinco yes cemicac = May God the Holy Spirit always be with you (San Martín Hidalgo, Jalisco, 1653)
YCa yn itocatzin yn Dios tetatzin y Dios ypiltzi y Dios espirito santo (Centlalpan, Chalco, 1736)
Dios tetahtzin Yhuan Dios tepiltzin Yhuan Dios Espiritu Santo (Metepec, 1795)
epiritun santo = Holy Spirit (San Pablo Tepemaxalco, Toluca Valley, 1731)
sancta Maria, ca Spiritu sanctotica in omotztili, yuan tlamahuiçoltica in omotlacachiuili = became pregnant by means of the Holy Spirit and gave birth by means of a marvel (Central Mexico, early seventeenth century)