Biinton.] 202 [jan 2, 



The span was called miztetl or miztitl, a word of obvious 

 derivation, meaning " between the finger nails," from iztetl, 

 finger nail. This span, however, was not like ours, from the 

 extremity of the thumb to the extremity of the little finger, nor 

 yet like that of the Cakchiquels, from the extremity of the 

 thumb to that of the middle finger, but like that now in use 

 among the Mayas (see above), from the extremity of the thumb 

 to that of the index finger (" cuanto se mide con el pulgar y el 

 indice." Molina, Vocabidario). 



There were four measures from the point of the elbow ; one to 

 the wrist of the same arm, a second to the wrist of the opposite 

 arm, a third to the ends of the fingers of the same arm, and the 

 fourth to the ends of the fingers of the opposite arm, the arms 

 always considered as extended at right angles to the bod}^ The 

 terms for these are given somewhat confusedly in my authori- 

 ties, but I believe the following are correct : 



1. From the elbow to the wrist of the same arm ; cemmatzotzo- 

 patzli, " a little arm measure," from ce, a, one, ma from viaitl, 

 arm or hund, tzotzoca, small, inferior, pa^zoa, to make small, to 

 diminish. 



2. From the elbow to the wrist of the opposite arm, cemmitl, 

 an arrow, a shaft, from ce, and mitl, arrow, this distance being 

 the approved length of an arrow. We may compare the old 

 English expression, a " cloth-yard shaft." 



3. From the elbow to the ends of the fingers of the same arm, 

 cemmolicpitl^ one elbow, ce, one, vfioUcpitl elbow. This is the 

 cubit. 



4. From the elbow to the ends of the fingers of the opposite 

 arm. 



The following were the arm measures : 



cemacolli, from the tip of the shoulder to the end of the hand 

 (ce, one, viagoa, to extend the arm). 



ceminatl, from the tip of the fingers of one hand to those of 

 the other. Although this word is apparently a S3nithesis of ce, 

 one, niaitl^ arm, and means " one arm," it is uniformly rendered 

 by the early writers una braza, a fathom. 



cenyollotlij from the middle of the breast to the end of the 

 fingers (ce, one, yollotl, breast). 



It is known thut the Aztecs had a standard measure of length 



