114 MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
As an example of the phonetic use of signs in the build- 
ing up of hieroglyphs let us take the common sign kin, 
meaning “‘sun.’’ This sign appears regularly in the 
glyphs for the world directions east and west, the Mayan 
names being likin and chikin and also in the month sign 
Wi ae 
5 
5 Fig. 45. Hieroglyphs of the Four Directions: East, North, West, 
outh. 
4 
Fig. 46. Hieroglyphs containing the Phonetic Element kin: 
a-b, kin; c, li-kin; d, chi-kin; e-f, yax-kin; 9, kan-kin. 
yaxkin, and sometimes in that for kankin. It also 
appears as the sign for the lowest period in the time count 
having the value of a single day and called kin. The sun 
sign pure and simple is a circle with four notches on the 
inner side. The beard which is often attached to the 
kin sign may belong to the face of the sun god. This 
face is sometimes used as a substitute for the simple kin 
sign in certain positions. All the words so far considered 
contain the syllable kin. Now this kin sign also appears 
in many undeciphered hieroglyphs and in some of these 
it seems likely that it has a phonetic value. Other signs 
with definite values in several glyphs are yax, tun, zac, 
etc. This general method of writing is seen in more de- 
cipherable form among the Aztecs. ‘The glosses of the 
early priests that have proved so great a help in the case 
