THOMAS] PHONETIC FEATURES OF THE t'HARACTEKS. iJG7 



Before discussing the question of phonograpliy we ask attention to 

 one or two facts regai'ding Landa's alphabet which do not appear to 

 have been previously noticed, yet have an important bearing on the 

 subject. 



The failure to reach any satisfactory results with this alphabet 

 proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that this author was mistaken as 

 to the character of the Maya writing; yet the frequent occurrence in 

 the manuscripts of most, if not all, of the elements he presents ren- 

 ders it certain that there is a basis of truth on which it rests. It is 

 probable, therefore, if we can find the key to his method, we may, 

 after all, obtain some satisfactory results by means of his alphabet. 



I have already stated as my belief that — 



He has undertaken to pick out of their compound or syllabic characters the letter 

 elements; hence it is that, while we find it impossible to decipher the manuscripts 

 by using them, yet we find such frequent resemblances as to compel us to admit a 

 fundamental relationship.' 



This opinion I still believe to be correct, but was, until very re- 

 cently, unable to get any positive evidence as to his method of ob- 

 taining these elements. 



While examining the Cortesian Codex I came across (on Plate 17) 

 the symbol for a turtle (the different varieties of which are shown in 

 marginal figure No. 4), which is nothing more or less than an attempt 

 to represent the head of the animal. In the more abbreviated 

 form (b) I at once recognized Landa's A (compare with c and d. 

 No. 4). As the Maya name of the turtle is Ac or Aac it is apjDarent 

 that in this instance the old Spanish priest selected a symbol rep- 

 resenting an object the name of which contains a single syllable 

 having, as its chief letter element, A. As this symbol is simply a 

 representation of the animal's head there is no reason to infer that 

 it is phonetic ; on the contrary, it is more reasonable to assume that 

 it was used only as a conventional sign. It is possible that after long 

 usage it may have been adopted as a phonetic character, though its 

 exceedingly rare occurrence in the manuscripts (being found only in 

 the Cortesian Codex and with the turtle figure) and the fact that 

 it is seldom, if ever, used as part of a compound character would 

 seem to forbid this idea. 



Precisely the same method was adopted in obtaining his B, which 

 is given in two forms, first as a foot print and second as a circle in- 

 closing four circular dots. The first, as all are aware, is only a con- 

 ventional sign and presumably not ijhonetic. The second may be 

 phonetic, though apparently biit an abbreviation of the first. In 

 Plate 65c (see marginal No. 20) and Plate 41c the two forms are 

 brought into such relation to each other as to show that the latter is 

 used as a symbol to represent the idea conveyed by the first. The 



' Study of the Manuscript Troano, by Cyrus Thomas, pp. 143, 143. 



