Nahuatl, like Greek and German, is a language that
allows the formation of extensive compounds. By the
combination of radicals or semantic elements, single
compound words can express complex conceptual
relations, often of an abstract universal character.
The tlamatinime ("those who know") were able to
use this rich stock of abstract terms to express the
nuances of their thought. They also availed themselves
of other forms of expression with metaphorical meaning,
some probably original, some derived from Toltec
coinages. Of these forms the most characteristic in
Nahuatl is the juxtaposition of two words that, because
they are synonyms, associated terms, or even contraries,
complement each other to evoke one single idea. Used as
metaphor, the juxtaposed terms connote specific or
essential traits of the being they refer to, introducing a
mode of poetry as an almost habitual form of expression.