to give form, shape, or a grid to something (see Molina)
Alonso de Molina:
quenamican tlalia. nitla. (pret. onitlaquenamican tlali.) dar forma o traza a alguna cosa. Alonso de Molina, Vocabulario en lengua castellana y mexicana y mexicana y castellana, 1571, part 2, Nahuatl to Spanish, f. 88v. col. 2. Thanks to Joe Campbell for providing the transcription.