pestilence, sickness, disease; an epidemic (especially with the intensifier, huey) (see Molina, Karttunen, and Lockhart); recent scientific studies of human remains from the sixteenth century are suggesting salmonella was responsible for the cocoliztli epidemics of ca. 1545 and 1576 (see the work of Johannes Krause of the Max Planck Institute and a publication by Ewen Calloway)
Auh yoan in titlacaoan qujtoaia, ca no iehoatl in qujtemacaia in netolinjliztli, in cococ teupouhquj: yoan tetech qujtlaliaia, ic temotlaia in cocoliztli, in vey, in ouj, in teucocoliztli, in nanaoatl, in tlanquaalaualiztli, in qualocatl, in xiiotl, in xochiciuiztli, in quexiliujliztli, in xoteuconaujliztli: yoan in oc cequj cuculiztli = And also they said of Titlacauan that he gave woe and affliction. And men he burdened and scourged with plagues which were great and grave—leprosy, boils, dropsy, cancers, the itch, haemorrhoids, piles, chilblains, and other sicknesses (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
"This plague began in the month of June 1576, and was still not over in January, when we wrote this description." (Central Mexico, 1571–1615)
"The fevers were contagious, burning, and continuous, entirely pestilential, and in a great many cases, lethal. The tongue dried out and turned black. Intense thirst, sea-green urine, or vegetable green and black, but from time to time the color would change from deep green to pale." (Central Mexico, 1571–1615)
1546 Nican ypan xihuitl yn omochiuh huey cocolistli = 1546 Here in this year a great epidemic occurred
Auh in aiamo totech moquetza in Españoles: achtopa momanaco vei cocoliztli = Before the Spaniards appeared to us, first an epidemic broke out (Mexico City, sixteenth century)
macatle tlein mitzmauhti, mitztequipacho macamo quen mochihua in mix in moyollo, macamo xiquimacaci in cocoliztli, manoçe oc itlà cocoliztli cococ teòpouhqui = Nothing whatever should frighten you or worry you. Do not be concerned, do not fear the illness, or any other illness or calamity. (Mexico City, 1649)
huei cocoliztli in itech omotlali ca yeppa ic momiquiliz = A great illness has come upon him, of which he will soon die (Mexico City, 1649)
peuhqui cocolistli ypan mayanalistli =An epidemic began in the time of famine
A long discussion about how one community responded to an epidemic (cocolistli) and tried to catch up when they got in arrears with the tributes appears in a testament from Zempoala (near Tepozotlan) said to date from 1610, but perhaps really dating from around 1703 and pertaining to the Techialoyan genre.
otopan muchiuh anozo otopan onquiz: in iuhqui teuatl, tlachinolli: quitoznequi: cocoliztli, anozo uel yehoatl in yaoyotl = They said: Divine liquid and fire have overcome us, have swept over us. This means pestilence or war itself.
In ye imecac, in ye iquauic in totecuyo, in zan ticamatlalpul, in zan tixtlalpul. Inin tlatolli itech mocaqui in cocoliztli
In atl itztic, in atl ceccec topan quichioa in totecuyo. Inin tlatolli, itechpa mitoa: in iquac itla topan quimuchiuilia in totecuyo. = Our Lord dashes cold water, icy water upon us. This is said when our Lord causes some misfortune to happen to us.
ahocmo onacohuan ynic netoco hueycan teopan ça Quaquauhxiuhtla netococ huel tlatla y tlacactl xolalpan yhuan tzauhcan santsantopan yhuan tliltique çaça mochi tlacatl. Huey cocoliztl quiçaco mochi tlacatl miqui. = no hubo lugar para enterrar a la gente en el templo grande, sólo se enterraron en Quaquauhxiuhtla. Se acabaron del todo las personas de los sólares, los obrajes y en las ermitas Y de los negros todas las personas [murieron]. Llegó una gran peste. Murieron todas las personas. (Tlaxcala, 1662–1692)
yhuan huey cocoliztli mochiuh huel tlatlamahuac motzatzacuic cali yhuan mochi mique Atepan tlaca = Y se produjo una peste, hubo gran anquilamiento, se cerraron las casas. Y murieron todas las personas de Atepan. (Tlaxcala, 1662–1692)
huey cocoliztl quiçaco = Llegó una gran epidemia (Tlaxcala, 1662–1692)
ipanpa huel ye notech aqui yn cocolitzintli = por hallarme enfermo de tabardillo (San Cristóbal Ecatepec, 1634)
yn iquac cocollizpan = en tiempos de la enfermedad
tlein cocoliztli motechca = que mal sientes
cuix onca cocolliztli = [h]ay enfermedades