Brinton.] ' ^'*'* [Nov. 4, 



Naliuatl with almost tlie same significations, as will be apparent from the 

 following quotations from Molina's Vocahulario Mexicano (Mexico, 1578). 



"Tepanaui, el que excede a los otros j les Ueva ventaja en algo, d 

 " el que es vencedor. 



"Tepan nicac, presidir 6 governar (nicac is an adverbial ending 

 "signifying presence in time and space, here is, there is). 



"Tepeuanl, conquistador o vencedor de batalla." 



The same may be said of the Kiche and Maya word ahau, chief, lord, 

 often applied to divinities ; this, tt)0, reappears in Nahuatl in the sense of 

 enjoyment, ease,- taking one's pleasure, as a great ruler is supposed to do. 

 The following are also from Molina. 



" Ahauia, regozijarse, y tomar placer. 



" Ahauiltia, espaciarse, recrearse 6 pasear tiempo. 



' ' Ahauixca, alegremente. ' ' 



But the careful student in comparing these words and their derivatives 

 in Aztec and Maya will find that while in the latter tongue their whole 

 history can be traced from the primary, literal, concrete meaning through 

 the secondary, transferred and metaphorical senses, this is not the case in 

 Aztec, but that in it they appear only with a late secondary signification. 

 This is conclusive evidence that the borrowing was not from Aztec to 

 Maya, but from Maya or its dialects to Aztec, and this at a comparatively 

 late date in linguistic history. 



I shall illustrate this by another example. I have previously traced the 

 development of the name Nanauac from a Maya root, branching off, and 

 extending through an interesting series of related conceptions. Words 

 from this same root are also found in Aztec, but all derived from a late 

 form, and in a bad sense. Molina gives : 



" Naualli, bruxa. 



" Nauallatia, esconderse para asechar o hacer mal a otro. 



" Nauallotl, negromancia 6 cosa semejante." 



No other significations are given by Molina to words from this root ex- 

 cept such as relate to sorcery and witchcraft. Evidently the Aztecs had 

 borrowed it after it had reached this meaning in its development, and it 

 would be in vain to attempt to show its history from ISTahuatl sources, 

 whereas this is easy from the Maya dialects. These examples therefore 

 point strongly to the conclusion that the resemblances or occasional iden- 

 tities between Kiche and Aztec myths are superficial ones only, brought 

 about by a limited but long continued intercourse between the two 

 peoples, and that the main and fundamental conceptions of Kiche 

 mythology do not point to any Aztec or Toltec source, but strongly and 

 decidedly to the pure Maya myths and tongue. 



As a probable Aztec infiltration; I may mention the myth of the terres- 

 trial paradise called in the Popol Yuh Paxil. This word has given trouble 

 to the commentators, and no satisfactory sense has been made out of it 

 viewed as a Kiche expression. I am inclined to believe it a reminiscence 



