THOMAS] THE SIXTH DAY Zo 
As chi, chii, signifies not only mouth, but also “limit, border, mar- 
gin, shore,” and especially the “skirt or loose edge of a garment,” 
the relation of the symbol to the name of the day is obvious. It 
is used here for its phonetic value—chi. As chii signifies “‘to bite, 
prick, to sting as a serpent,” and chan denotes “serpent,” the true 
explanation of the name of the day would seem to be ‘the biting or 
stinging serpent.” This will perhaps justify us in supposing that where 
the symbol is found on a serpent it must have reference to this char- 
acteristic. 
Thad not observed when the above was written that Brasseur had 
expressed substantially the same view in regard to the origin of this 
symbol. 
THE SIXTH DAY 
Maya, cimi; Tzental, ter; Quiche-Cakechiquel, camey; Zapotec, lana; Nahuatl, 
miquiztli. 
Landa’s symbol for this day is shown in plate Lxv, 24. The usual 
form in the Codex Tro. and Cortesian Codex is given in LXV, 25; it is 
varied frequently by an extension of the line from the mouth, somewhat 
as in symbol 28 of the same plate, which is the usual form in the Dres- 
den Codex. <A variation of this is seen at 29, which seems to have 
given rise to the unusual form shownin 31. <A radical variation is that 
given at 27. The symbol of the Death god, 26 and 30, is sometimes, 
though rarely, substittited as the symbol of this day. The closed or 
dead eye and prominent teeth, as seen in the usual forms, show very 
clearly that the symbol is simply a conventional representation of the 
naked skull. The form shown at 27, however, is more difficult to 
account for; reference to it will be made farther on. 
The Maya, Quiche Cakchiquel, and Nahuatl terms signify “death.” 
The Tzental name tox, however, presents a difficulty not readily over- 
come in order to bring its signification into harmony with that of the 
others. Dr Seler does not attempt an explanation in his paper on 
the meaning of the day names, and in his subsequent article fails to 
reach any settled conclusion. Dr Brinton thinks it means something 
(as a human head) separated, sundered, cut off; “hence tow-oghbil, the 
ax or hatchet; q-tor, to split, divide, cut off.” In this, he holds, it 
agrees precisely with the Zapotec lana, which, he says, the Zapotec 
vocabulary renders ‘‘a separated thing, like a single syllable, word, 
or letter.” Dr Seler’s interpretation of the Zapotec name is wholly 
different, as he says that the most natural of the various significa- 
tions given is, in his opinion, ‘hare ;” pela-pillaana, “‘liebre animal;” too- 
quixe-pillaana, or pella-pillaana, “red para liebres.” I observe, however, 
that in Fuller’s vocabulary gu-lana is “to steal.” Other significations 
are “name,” “flesh,” “¢secretly,” etc. The proper interpretation of the 
Zapotec name therefore appears to be very doubtful. In Cordova’s 
vocabulary, as given by Ternaux-Compans, “fleche” is given as the 
