December 15, 1893.] 



SCIENCE. 



325 



SCIENCE: 



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INTERPRETATION OF MAYA HIEROGLYPHS 

 BY THEIR PHONETIC ELEMENTS.— I. 



BV HILBORNE T. CRESSON, A. M., M. D. 



The intent of this article is to demonstrate, as brieily 

 as possible, the method pursued in mj^ endeavor to 

 analyze the Maya hieratic and demotic script by the 

 phonetic elements of which it is composed. So far as 

 the work has progressed the indications are that the 

 Maya graphic system, like that of other early peoples, is 

 based upon a primitive ideographism, most of its ele- 

 ments being derived frotn motives suggested by organic 

 or inorganic nature and objects invented by man for his 

 necessities. The s)'mbols were gradually given phonetic 

 significance, and had advanced to that stage which Dr. 

 D. G. Brinton has designated the ikonomatic. The Maya 

 script, like the ancient Mexican, is largely of this char- 

 acter. There are indications that the Maya script had 

 begun to enter a stage even more advanced than that of 

 the ikonomatic. At times sounds even so meaningless 

 as that of a single letter are to be remarked; this is very 

 rare. It is not m}' intent to advocate that they had ar- 

 rived at a stage where each sound was indicated by a 

 certain element or sign. They had, however, reached a 

 point in their progression toward an alphabetic method 

 where we find ideographic suggestions, phonetic char- 

 acters and phonetic additions, intermingled. Particular 

 attention is called to the assertion "begun to enter a more 

 advanced stage" for the ikonomatic method prevailing, 

 in the majority of cases, it is evident that the advance 

 into another stage was but in process of transition. 



The consonant sounds are indicated by the characters, 

 yet syllabic characters frequently appear. Vowel fluc- 

 tuation is one of the most important factors in Maya 

 script, and the various combinations produced by the 

 Maj-a scribes require careful and especial study. The 

 sign v-s is proposed for this peculiarity where it occurs. 

 For instance. Fig. 122 is a genuine syllabic character, 

 the guttural consonant k, whose variants plaj- an im- 

 portant part in 'Maxa. script. Its phonetic values seem 

 to be kan, ka v-s, an v-s, k. Where ka v-s is indicated 

 it is meant that this element and its variants may have 

 any of the phonetic values, ka, ke, ki, ko; ak, ek, ik, ok, 

 and that an v-s may = an, en, in, on; na, ne, ni, no. It 

 is to be remarked that this method of using a syllable 

 and portions of a syllable is quite common in Maya 

 script. The element ban. Fig. 135, has the phonetic 



value of ban, ba v-s, an v-s. The syllable cab is repre- 

 sented by Fig. 1 25; it has the phonetic value of cab, ca v-s, 

 ba v-s, and also the additional phonetic value of 

 Ma v-s. The character of the Maya language explains 

 these peculiarities, most of its I'oots being monosyllables 

 or dissyllables, and, as in all languages, largely mono- 

 syllabic, there are many significations attached to a 

 single word. Cab, for instance, has twelve or more dif- 

 ferent meanings. The face glyphs and drawings that 

 accompany demotic script, and the sculptured repre- 

 sentations that appear with hieratic script, it is my 

 opinion, are composites of phonetic elements and ideo- 

 graphic suggestion, and it is an important question 

 whether the peculiar ornamentations or decorations of 

 the ancient Mayan structures of southern Mexico are not 

 closely allied to these composites. This has already been 

 suggested b}^ me in other publications. 



The plates accompanying this article, from Fig. i to 

 Fig. 192, give a series of elements to which certain, 

 phonetic values have been assigned, these having Ijeen 

 frequently repeated in new combinations with probable 

 re-sults, corresponding in some cases with the interpre- 

 tations of De Rosny, De Charency and Thomas. They 

 are now offered for consideration to Maya students, and 

 as a basis for future progress in the work, subject to 

 further alteration and change. An interesting fact is 

 their resemblance to many of the phonetic elements of 

 the day signs of the Chilan Balam of Kaua, which is a 

 demotic form of the script that can readily be traced to 

 that of the older codices. Most of the phonetic elements 

 obtained by me and given m this article are derived 

 from analyses of the day signs of Landa and a few of 

 the month signs; from analyses of the hieratic script of 

 Palenque, the Yucatec stone of the Leyden Museum and 

 a vase in the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, 

 found at Kabahr by Mr. Edward Thompson, L^nited 

 States Consul to Merida, Yucatan. The inscription on 

 this vase is, in the opinion of Dr. D. G. Brinton and 

 myself, a beautiful example of the demotic form of 

 hieratic script. Variants of some of the phonetic ele- 

 ments on this vase may bs seen in Figs, i, 3, 4, 8, 10, 

 19, 22, 27, 43, 84, 85, 92, 122. Especial attention is 

 called to the fact that many variants exist of the pho- 

 netic elements given in my list, and to use them one 

 must habituate himself to these variations. Vowel fluc- 

 tuation is the only method, in my opinion, that can ex- 

 plain some of the combinations used by the scribes in 

 forming their glyphs. Especially is this pnzzling in 

 more demotic forms of script, yet I venture to say that 

 there are but few of the day signs of the Chilan Balam 

 of Kaua that cannot be analyzed by my method, and 

 their evolution from those of Landa demonstrated. 

 Space will not permit further discussion of this interest- 

 ing subject. 



It is to be remarked before beginning our list of 

 values assigned phonetic elements that the consonant x 

 or sh is interchangeable with that of ch. 



Figs. I, 2, 3, 4 = Ha v-s, a, kan v-s. ka v-s, an v-s. 



Flo's. 7, 8, 9, 10 = Cab, ca v-s, ba v-s, ma v-s, m. 



Flo's. II, 154, a, b = Ka v-s, za v-s, composed of Fig. 6 

 and Fig. i ; see Fig. 154, a, b. 



Figs. 12 to 22 ^ Man, ma v-s, an v-s. 



Fig. 23 to 26 = Na v-s. Fig. 26, variant of element in 

 day signs, Chuen and Akbal. The day 

 sign Akbal is probably akanbal = bal, 

 ■'object" or "thing," acaan = "setup"; is 

 allied to Fig. 162, the chak glyph, composed 

 of ideo-phonetic elements suggesting 

 akaan-tun or "stones set up," symbols of 



