THOMAS] PHONETIC FEATURES OF THE CHARACTERS. 369 



symbol of the month Yaxkin contains the same sun symbol. It 

 would be somewhat remarkable to find the same single character in 

 three different combinations, representing three different ideas ex- 

 pressed by words containing the sjime somid, yet having no reference 

 to the sound. 



It is now generally admitted by students of American paleogra- 

 phy, on what appears to be satisfactory evidence, that synibol No. 

 7 of the preceding list, Cab, is used to signify " earth" or "land" 

 and "honey." both of which are designated by the same Maya term. 

 Cab. As there is no similarity in the things denoted the character 

 is probably phonetic. The "bee" appears also to be frequently in- 

 dicated by the same character with an affix, as may be seen by refer- 

 ence to the lower divisions of Plates III* — X* of the Manuscript 

 Troano. 



The symbol No. 9 (U) of the preceding list is found repeatedly on 

 vases and also as a prefix to both simple and compound characters. 

 As Cin Maya signifies "moon," "vase," and certain pronouns and 

 is also used as a euphonic particle before vowels, we are perhaps justi- 

 fied in concluding that the symbol is phonetic and denotes the word 

 U. I am aware that neither Perez nor Dr. Brinton gives "vase" as 

 one of the meanings of this word, yet its constant appearance on 

 vessels seems to leave no doiibt that Brasseur is correct. Even ad- 

 mitting that he is mistaken and that we are in error as to the sig- 

 nification of the symbol, its various uses justify the belief that it is 

 phonetic. 



The symbol No. 34 of the preceding list, which is supposed to be 

 that of the god Ekchiiah. is probably phonetic. The name of this 

 deity is composed of two Maya words, ek, "black," and chu, "cala- 

 bash." and hence signifies "the black calabash." and the form and 

 coloring of the symbol are apparently intended to denote this signifi- 

 cation. If this interpretation be correct it is phonetic, as there is 

 nothing in or pertaining to the figure of the deity which corresponds 

 with it, except the color. 



If the interpretation given of the preceding symbols Nos. 22, 24, 

 26, 27a, and 33 be correct, there can be scarcely a doubt that they 

 are phonetic. In the first — cacau, cacauak, or cacauche, the 

 "cacao" — we see Landa's letter Ca, which is doiibled in each of the 

 three forms taken from the different codices. In the twenty-sixth — 

 Kukuitz, the Quetzal — Landa's Ku is duplicated, as it should be 

 if phonetic, while in 27a, Kuch, it appears but once. There is here 

 also an additional evidence of phoneticism in the fact that, while one 

 of the symbols used to denote this bird shows simply its head, and 

 is surely not phonetic, the other is entirely different and bears no 

 resemblance whatever to any feature or characteristic of the bird. 

 Moreover, both parts of it are used in other combinations referring 

 to entirely different things. 

 6 ETH 24 



