1885.] It' J [Brinton. 



to the remains of the edifices.* But apart from the eccentricity 

 of this statement, I do not see from Dr, LePlongeon's own meas- 

 urements that the metre is in any sense a common divisor for 

 them. 



From the linguistic evidence, I incline to believe that the oc, 

 the foot, was their chief lineal unit. This name was also applied 

 to the seventh day of the series of twenty which made up the 

 Maya month ; and there may be some connection between these 

 facts and the frequent recurrence of the number seven in the 

 details of their edifices. f 



The Cakchiquels. 



The root-word for measuring length is, in CaUchiquel, et. Its 

 primitive meaning is, a sign, a mark, a characteristic. From this 

 root are derived the verbal etah, to measure length, to lay out a 

 plan, to define limits; eial, a sign, mark, limit; etabal, meas- 

 ured field ; etamah^ to know, i. e., to recognize the signs and 

 characters of things ; etavianizah, to cause to know, to teach, to 

 instruct ; etc. 



My authorities do not furnish evidence that the Cakchiquels 

 used the foot as a unit of measurement, differing in this from the 

 Mayas. They had, however, like the latter, a series of measure- 

 ments from the ground to certain points of the body, and they 

 used a special terminal particle, bem (probably from fee, to go), 

 " up to " to indicate such measurements, as vexibem, up to the 

 girdle (vex, girdle, t, connective, bem, up to, or " it goes to "). 



These body measures, as far as I have found them named, are 

 as follows : 



quequebem, from the ground to the knee. 



ru-vach a, from the ground to the middle of the thigh ; liter- 

 ally " its front, the thigh " (rw, its, vach, face, front, a, the 

 muscles of the thigh). 



vexibem, from the ground to the girdle, vex, which in ancient 

 times supported the breech-cloth. 



* " The metre is the only vieasure of Oimension which agrees with that adopted by 

 these most ancient artists and architects."— Dr. Le Plongeon, Mayapan and 

 Maya InscriiMons, in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, April, 

 1881. 



t" Nearly all the monuments of Yucatan bear evidence that the Mayas had a 

 predilection for the number seven," etc. Le Plongeon, Vestiges of the Mayas, p. 

 63, (New York, 1881). Of course, this may have other symbolic meanings also. 



