240 DAY SYMBOLS OF THE MAYA YEAR (ETH. ANN. 16 
frequent occurrence in all the codices. If a satisfactory interpretation 
of this glyph could be found, it would assist greatly in deciphering the 
codices. I am rather inclined to think it is a sign of repetition—as 
“repeat thrice.” If there were some word for ear which could be con- 
nected with oc or elab, then we might suppose the symbol to be used 
phonetically. However, as this can not be found, some other explana- 
tion must be sought. 
The Nahuatl and Quiche-Cakchiquel names are the ordinary terms in 
these languages for ‘‘dog,” and the Mexican symbol for the day is the 
head of a dog. Dr Seler does not attempt to explain the Tzental name, 
and merely suggests that the Maya word oc, ‘foot, footprint, track,” 
and as a verb, ‘‘to enter, to go into,” may have been adopted by the 
priests as expressing a prominent characteristic of the dog. Dr Brin- 
ton is inclined to derive the name oc from the verb ocol, oclah, ‘to steal, 
to rob,” rather than from ocol, ‘to enter,’ supposing it to have been 
selected as indicative of another characteristic of the dog. This he 
believes also to be the signification of the Tzental term elab. This it 
seems to me is again reversing the order, unless we assume that the 
Quiche tzi and Mexican itzewintli are the older terms.! 
Dr Brinton says that according to Bartolomé de Pisa the Zapotec 
name signifies “deg,” though he does not find it with this meaning in 
the vocabularies. Dr Seler, however, obtains the signification “dog” 
for this name by supposing that it is derived from fee-/ao, ‘mouth down- 
ward,” referring to some myth of a dog representing the lightning, or 
lightning demon, as falling or plunging downward from the sky in cer- 
tain figures of the codices. This, Dr Brinton says, ‘‘seems strained,” 
which may also be said of the explanations of the Maya name. 
The symbol of the dog as found in the Dresden Codex (13¢), and as 
admitted by Dr Seler, is shown in plate Lxy, 59. The same symbol is 
found in the same codex, 21b. Now, I think it possible to show, with a 
considerable degree of certainty, what is the chief phonetic element of 
this symbol, at least ofits first or left-hand character. In plate LXv, 
60, from Tro. 22*a, is seen (omitting the prefix) substantially the sym- 
bol that Landa interprets le, ‘the lasso,” and also ‘to lasso.” As the 
lower character is his e, we may take for granted that the upper portion 
indicates the 1 sound; further evidence of this, however, will be pre- 
sented under the twentieth day. As this is followed by the symbol 
seen in plate LXv, 61, which refers to the “turkey” (kutz or cuitz),” and 
the figure below the text shows a snared turkey, the interpretation 
appears to be appropriate. Turning now to Dres. 44 (l)e, we notice in 
the picture below the text the compound glyph shown in plate Lxv, 62. 


'T was not aware that oc had the signification ‘‘dog” in any of the Mayan languages, nor do I 
find that Seler or Brinton appeal to this fact in their efforts to explain the day name in the Maya 
calendar. However, Dr Brinton remarks that Brasseur and Seler think that some forms of the symbol 
“portray the ears of a dog, as in some of the Mayan dialects the dog is called oc.” 
‘Dr Brinton (P.amer, p. 95) says that this is called ‘‘an article of food, by Thomas.” While this is 
correct in the sense that I speak of the turkey (kutz or cuitz) as food, it is incorrect in giving the 
impression that I interpret the symbol by “ article of food,” as I have always interpreted it “turkey.” 
