incense, copal (see Molina and Karttunen)
copalli (noun) = resin, gum copal
njman ic qujmontlapachoa, qujmonixqujmjloa, cecenme, ica neçaoalquachtli, tliltic omjcallo, ioan qujmonmaca icpaxiqujpilli, tliltic omjcallo, in vncan temj copalli = Then they veiled and covered their faces, each one of them, with black fasting capes designed with bones. And they gave them cotton incense bags, black and designed with bones, which they filled with incense (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
In the Florentine Codex we find copalli paired with amatl as a duty or offering expected to be provided to the deities. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
huítzilin , Yhuá Pizíetl Co pallí , Xochí ocotzotl. âhuí altic, totoch tin coamê, Zolimê; camochí ynin cenca míec quin míctiaya .y huá Yxpan qui hue n manaya ynin theoû Camaxtle = hummingbird, and tobacco incense, liquid nectar, rabbits, snakes, and quails—for they killed all these together and spread the offerings out before their god Camaxtli.
Nicān nichuālhuīca in iztāc copalli, cōzauhqui copalli. Īc niquintlacuīlīz in notlahhuān, tlamacazqueh, cōzauhqueh tlamacazqueh, yāyāuhqueh tlamacazqueh = I am bringing here the white copal, the yellow copal. With it I will take things away from my uncles, the priests, the yellow priests, the dusky priests [i.e., I will prevent them from entering the field]. (Atenango, between Mexico City and Acapulco, 1629)
yoan copalteteu, yoan vlteteu = and the gods molded in incense, and those formed of rubber (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
auh niman ye quihuica holli copalli. amatl. xochitl. in yetl. yhuan yn itoca tlacatlaqualli. ye quitlamanilizque yn teotl = And then he took rubber, copal incense, paper, flowers, tobacco, and what are called abstinence foods with which they were to make offerings to the god (central Mexico, early seventeenth century)
nimã nauhcãpa quiyava in tlemaitl inic tlapopochvia auh in icoac onauhcãpa oconiyauh yc nimã õcontema in tlequazco vncã popucatica ŷ copalli = When they had presented the incense to the four cardinal points, they threw the coals into the brazier, where the copal continued smoking. (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
auh y yehoatl yn achto tlatoz iehoatl in contema copalli, tleco = and the one who was to speak first, cast the incense in the fire (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
in amatl in copalli yoã in tlemaytl in ie isquich ytech monequiz tzapotlacatl yn icoac miquia ypã tepeilvitl. = the papers, the copal, and the incense ladle everything that was required when [the impersonator of] the Lord of Zapotlan died (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
In the mid-sixteenth century, a Coixtlahuaca native (modern state of Oaxaca) was said in an inquisitorial proceeding to have become "a god and asked for doves, turtledoves, quails, puppies, and copal in order to perform sacrifices."
in teteu in tlamacazque in olloque, in iauhioque, in copalloque in totecujoan = the lords of rubber, the lords of incense, the lords of copal - our lords (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
In axcan ma xoiatiuh in vnpa omjtzamapouh, in vnpa omjtzcopalpouh in monantzin, in motatzin in calmecac, in choqujzcali, in jxaiocali, in tlaoculcali, in vncan mopitza, momamali: in vncan xotla, cueponj in tepilhoan: in vncan cozcateuh, quetzalteuh motemanilia, motevipanjlia in totecujo in tloque, naoaque: in vncan moteicnoittilia, in vncan motepepenjlia in jpalnemoa = Now go where thy mother, thy father have dedicated thee with paper, with incense, to the calmecac, the house of weeping, the house of tears, the house of sadness, where the sons of noblemen are cast, are perforated; where they bud, where they blossom; where like precious necklaces, like precious feathers they are placed, ordered by our lord, the lord of the near, of the nigh; where he by whom we live showeth compassion, where he selecteth one (central Mexico, sixteenth century)
in tlemaitl in copalli = incensario, copal = una metáfora para decir 'ofrenda' o 'sacerdote' (s. XVI)
onpetlacali copalli = dos cofres de copal [con un valor de 15 pesos] (Tlaxcala, [1566] 1600)
iccuac ypan tolhuitzin topan tlatoz aço copaltzintli noço cantelatzin = y cuando llegue nuestra fiesta haga por nosotros, con copale o con candelas (Tlaxcala, 1641)
notlaltzin deopancaldi yni momaquilitiuh nodepixcatzin San Baltolome quibilis ynamitzin yn itoca Ana Maria oca quicohuis copaltzintli yuan ylhuilis = la tierra questá a la puerta de la iglesia se la doy a mi guardián San Bartolomé, que la tenga mi mujer [que se llama Ana María] para la fiesta y que compre copale (Santa Ana Acolco, ca. 1600)
el copal (copalli) = un producto vegetal asociado con la religión y el sacerdocio