98 



DETERMINATIVE SIGNS. 



1 K_\ow for a certainty of but few signs to which the term determinative, strictly 

 construed in accordance with its use in connection with Egyptian hieroglyphic writing 

 — that is, equivalent signs employed to denote in another way that which has already 

 been expressed — can be applied , but I think that a more thorough knowledge of the 

 glyphs will reveal this class to be quite numerous. The determinative feature is very 

 strong in the Maya language, as stated in speaking of the numerals, and it is only 

 reasonable to suppose that it was equally prominent in their graphic system. Through- 

 out the inscriptions there are many characters that appear to be superfluous — I mean, 

 glyphs that seem to be uselessly attached to series whose import is complete without 

 them, and to which apparently they give no additional meaning. I suspect most of 

 these characters to be determinative signs, merely repeating in another fashion what 

 has just been stated, in order to avoid all possibility of misunderstanding. They may 

 denote some distinction in quality, class or order, but, if so, I have failed to detect it 

 in any case. I can discover in them nothing but equivalency and repetition. 



The two glyphs here given are equivalents. Each is a symbol for the 120-day 

 period, or week round. The specific number of days is designated in both — in the 

 first by the elliptical character for 10 and the double ik sign for 12 multiplied together, 

 making 120 ; in the second, by the same process, only that 12 is there represented 

 by an animal head. Both glyphs occur frequently in this single state, but occasionally 

 — whether the writer thought the sign required elucidation, or whether the sculptor 

 found more space at his disposal than the simple form of the symbol would becomingly 

 fill — the yaxkin sign is appended to each of them. The sign for Yaxkin represents 

 120 days, according to the theory I have advanced of the numerical values of the 

 month symbols. As there is no other conceivable purpose this sign can serve in the 

 relation here shown, 1 believe it is merely used determinatively to repeat and emphasize 

 the fact that the preceding characters signify 120 days. 



