"The primary native language of central Mexico before and after the Spanish conquest, Nahuatl was used from the mid-sixteenth century forward in an astounding array of alphabetic written documents, now studied by scholars in a variety of disciplines. James Lockhart, an eminent historian of early Latin America, is the leading interpreter of Nahuatl texts, and has himself trained a large number of students in older Nahuatl. One of his main tools of instruction has been Horacio Carochi's monumental 1645 Arte de la lengua mexicana, the most influential work ever published on Nahuatl grammar.". "This volume is being published simultaneously with Lockhart's Nahuatl as Written: Lessons in Older Written Nahuatl, a practical grammar of the older form of the language and an instructional manual for dealing with written texts. The two works complement one another - Nahuatl as Written prepares the student to approach Carochi, and addresses key points not touched upon here. Together these two works provide the foundation for mastery of written Nahuatl, and stand as essential works of reference."--BOOK JACKET.