Brinton.] ZJO [Oct. 6, 



, Derivations. 



1. TacaxepuaJ, or Tecoxepual, or Tequexepual. — The best au- 

 thorities agree that this was the first month of the Cakchiquel 

 year, and the first corn phxnting (tiempo principio de ano 6 tietn- 

 po de sembrar las primeras railpas. Yarea, Vocab., MS.). The 

 word is clearly a corruption of the name of the second month 

 in the Nahuatl Calendar, Tlaca Xipeualiztli. 



2. Nabey tumuzuz. — The first Tumuzuz. Father Yarea states 

 that this month was at the beginning of the winter rains, and 

 that it derived its name from a species of flj'ing insect which 

 then made its appearance (viene quando empiezan los primeros 

 aguaceros del invierno. Aparean y andan volando unos gusan- 

 illos que llaman tumuzuz. Vocahulario^ MS.).* 



3. Rucab tumuzuz. — The second Tumuzuz. 



4. Cibixic. — From ci6, smoke, mist or vapor. Yarea observes 

 that the natives were accustomed to plant in this month, and 

 that it follows tumuzuz. It derived its name from the smoky 

 appearance of the atmosphere at this season, or from the custom 

 of burning brnsh in clearing the ground. Compare the Maj'a 

 month Kan kin. 



5. Uehum. — " Season for replanting." Father Coto describes 

 it as the month for planting gardens (bueno para hacer alma- 

 zigos y sembrar ortaliza. Vocahulurio GaLchiquel^ MS.). The 

 derivation is obscure. The root uch means a species of fox ; 

 a louse ; gum copal ; and chills and fever. In the neighboring 

 dialect of the Tzotzils, uchum means to grind in a mill, from 

 which ghiichamhil^ a corn mill (moler, molino). 



6. Ndbey mam. — " First old man." In most of the dialects 

 mam means the maternal ancestor. Here the word is used 

 metaphorically in the sense " prematurely old," because the 

 corn planted in this and the following months ripened prema- 



*Dr. StoU {Elhaologie der Indianerstdnime von Quatcmala, s. 00) found the swarming 

 times of the termites, Calolermes castaneus, in Guatemala, to be March 22 and May 24, 

 dates which do not coincide witli the Calendar. lie omits, therefore, the former, and 

 refers to an occasional flight about the middle of June. 



