150 INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY—PUBLICATION NO. 4 
GLOSSARY 
Achiote, see Annatto. 
Adobe, sun-dried construction block or “brick” of clayey 
earth, generally dark; also, the earth, which may be 
daubed on walls. 
Aguacate, avocado, or “alligator pear” (Persea americana). 
Aguardiente (lit., “fire water”), strong rum made from 
brown cane sugar (panela). 
Alcalde, in Guatemala, the political chief of a municipio 
before 1935, since which time the ranking official has 
been an intendente. 
Alcantarilla, aqueduct, generally of unglazed tiles. 
Aldea, small settlement or hamlet, generally larger and 
more important than a caserio, but smaller than a pueblo. 
Alfenique, a kind of candy ring made at Sacapulas, of 
squash seeds and sugarcane juice. 
Alguacil, minor sheriff’s deputy and municipal servant who 
performs menial duties, 
Aliso, alder (Alnus spp.), from the bark of which a deep 
reddish-brown dye for wool yarn is derived. 
Almendro, a Lowland shade tree (Ternvinalia catappa) dis- 
tinctive for its whorled branches. 
Almud, a volume measure (ordinarily a shallow, square 
wooden box) used for grain, especially maize, of which 
it contains about 1214 pounds avoirdupois. 
Anil, or jiquilite, indigo (dark-blue) dyestuff, and the 
plant (especially Indigofera suffruticosa, also I. guate- 
malensis) from which it is derived. 
Annatto, anatto, or arnotto, small tree (Bira orellana) 
and the yellowish red, fugitive dyestuff (mainly for 
food coloring) derived from it. 
Anona, one of various trees (Annona spp.), called also 
anon, with large sweet, edible fruits; chirimoya, sweet- 
sop, custard apple (esp. A. reticulata), etc. 
Arriero, muleteer. 
Arroyo, deep gorge or ravine through which a small stream 
flows; also, the stream. 
Atol, or atole, thick corn gruel served hot and variously 
seasoned. 
Auxiliar, lowest order of public servants, who assist the 
regidores, or aldermen, in carrying out public works 
projects; they are generally recruited from the Indian 
element of the population in this region. 
Axin, or axi, a scale insect (Llaveia axin) from which a 
wax (lac) is derived by cooking, used to coat tree 
calabashes at Rabinal; the insect somewhat resembles 
chile, formerly called aji in Guatemala, still so called 
in South America. 
Ayote, see calabaza (squash or pumpkin). 
Bajareque, house wall made of interlaced poles or canes 
(vertical and horizontal) daubed with adobe and some- 
times reinforced with rubble, as at Panajachel. 
Barranca, deep gully, ravine, or gorge. 
Barrio, section, or ward, of a village or town. 
Bejuco, small, usually rubbery, tough vine common in the 
Lowlands, much used for binding, especially in house 
construction. 
Bledo, amaranth (Amaranthus sp.). 
Boca costa, inner edge of the Coastal Plain and base of the 
mountains (lit., “mouth of the coast”). 
Boceles, a confection of popcorn coated with sirup made 
from brown sugar. 
Brasil (palo de) (Haematoxylum brasiletto), dyewood used 
to dye wool yarn various shades of reds and purples. 
Brujo, Indian shaman or medicine man, ministering only to 
Indians. 
Cabecera, capital of a department or municipio; of the 
latter it ordinarily carries the name, and it usually, but 
not always, carries the department name. 
Cacao, Theobroma cacao tree, or its seeds (cacao “beans’’) 
from which cocoa and chocolate are prepared. 
Cacaste, wooden carrying frame, usually with four legs 
and one or two shelves, used only by the Indian men 
and boys for goods transported on their backs with the 
mecapal or tumpline (q. v.). 
Cafe en oro, unroasted coffee “bean,” or seed, with the thin 
husk (pergamino) removed, ready for roasting (dis- 
tinguished from café en pergamino, pulped, but un- 
shelled, coffee). 
Caiba, cucurbitaceous vegetable (Cyclanthera pedata) ; fruit 
(usually stuffed) and leaves eaten. 
Caimito, sapotaceous tree (star-apple, 
cainito) with sweet, purple-fleshed fruit. 
Calabaza, squash (Cucurbita moschata) or pumpkin (C. 
pepo). 
Caldera, large crater or depression caused by crustal col- 
lapse of volcanoes or volcanic areas undermined by long- 
continued volcanic eruptions; sometimes due in part 
also to eruptive explosions. 
Camote, sweetpotato. 
Campeche, see Palo de campeche. 
Canasta, deep, handled basket, carried by Ladinas. 
Canasto, shallow, open basket without handles, for use in 
displaying goods in the market; Indian women carry 
them on their heads. 
Canicula (lit., Dog Star), or Veranillo de San Juan, short, 
relatively dry period of varying duration and irregular 
occurrence, sometime during July-August, between the 
two periods of maximum rainfall (June and September). 
Capixai, long, natural-black wool robe worn by the Indian 
men in various municipios. 
Carga de cacao, 24,000 “beans” or seeds of cacao, by ancient 
Aztec measure, adopted also by early colonial Spanish. 
A carga, or manload, consisted of three rigquipiles (20 
contles of 400). 
Caserio, small hamlet, or rural community, generally of an 
order of size and importance next below that of an 
aldea. 
Cassava, see Manioc. 
Ceiba, silk cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) ; plate 5, a. 
Chalum, important coffee shade tree (Jnga sp.). 
Chamborote, large butter bean (Phaseolus coccineus) or, 
sometimes, giant kidney bean (P. vulgaris) in the 
Cuchumatanes region. 
Chrysophyllum 
