Writing with Syllables Mayan hieroglyphic writing is made...

Writing with Syllables Mayan hieroglyphic writing is made up of symbols that represent whole words (logographs) or syllables consisting of consonant-vowel pairs (CV) or vowels (V)consonant vowel pairs (CV) or vowels (V).

Maya Animal World

Maya Lexicon

Maya Glyph Block

Spelling Your Name with Mayan Glyphs

Nancy McNelly

南施.馬訥尼

馬南詩

Mayan Name

Kakupacal (Fiery Shield) at Chichen itzaa valiant Itza captain (Dave kelly)

Infixing or conflation

Combinations of syllables are sometimes written in contracted form by infixing one symbol or some of its characteristics into another. In the examples below, "la" has been combined with "ha" and "chi" with "yi" to p yyield "lah" and "yich". This sort of conflation is sometimes done with logographs as well; the third example is a combination of "nik" and "sak" to produce "white flower", a common metaphor for the soul.sak to produce white flower , a common metaphor for the soul.

+ + + or

la+ha yi + chiy

Women's names preceded by the Moon Goddess head form of the syllable "na". This is usually translated as "Lady" or "she". The male equivalent of this was "ah". Both "ah" and "na" are found in titles. A Maya ruler might have a list of such titles after his name, some with "ah" y g(for example, "ah k'al bak" - "he who has twenty captives") and some without (e.g. "bakab" - "the upright one").

male female

Th f i l ' li i d l b di b f hThe use of titles wasn't limited to rulers: subordinate members of the aristocracy might have "sahal" or "na sahal" after their names. Members of some professions used descriptive titles as well. A Maya scribe might put "ah tz'ib" - "he of the writing" after his name

Alternative spellings for balam “jaguar”Alternative spellings for balam, “jaguar”

Count-of-captives glyph: a) ah uuc bac “he of the seven captives b) AhCount-of-captives glyph: a) ah uuc bac he of the seven captives b) Ah kal bac “he of the twenty captives.

U and YThe many forms of the vowel U can represent ‘his hers or its’ whenThe many forms of the vowel U can represent his, hers, or its when preceding a noun, and ‘he, she, or it’ when preceding a verb. If the word in question begins with a vowel, Y substitutes for U. An example is in parentage statements often written in the following way:parentage statements, often written in the following way: (1st) the name and titles of the person being described (2nd) "y-al" ("her child", sometimes given as "child of the mother") followed by the

th ' d titl (3 d) " i hi " (lit ll "hi fl ( hild)"mother's name and titles (3rd) "u nichin" (literally, "his flower (child)" or "child of the father") followed by the father's name and titles. Use of these prefixes can shade the meaning of a word: "ahaw" means lord, while the possessed form, "y-ahaw"("his lord"), indicates a lower-ranking lord who "belongs" to some more powerful figure.

Ti and TaTi and ta served as all-purpose prepositions in Mayan languages: to asTi and ta served as all purpose prepositions in Mayan languages: to, as, for, from, on, at, etc. Context was the one clue to how either of these syllables was intended.

Example of Classical Maya Pronouns

Name-tagging. a) u tup (his earspool) of ruler ? b) (his bone) of Ruler A at TikalRuler A at Tikal

polyvalence

Homophony: glyphs are interchangeable

Polyphony: same sign, different meanings

Posterior date indicatorDistance Numbers

Period Endings

16 days, 15 winal (15x20 days), and 14 tun (14x360 days)had passed since Day 8 Chuvven 14 Keh = PDI date

Word order VOS or VS

Yaxichilan Lintel 8

u-cha’an ko-te’-ajaw k’an-tokA E

7 Imix

14 Sek WAY-IBB CB C

chuhkaj saja

Jeweled u-baakya-?-bahlam

D

Skull

u-baa k Bird Jaguar Holy King of Yaxchilan (E1-3)

k’uhul-?-ajaw

7 Imix 14 Sek chuhkaj Jeweled Skull (A1-4)

u-cha’an ko-te’-ajaw k’an-tok “K’an Tok WAY-IB sajal (B1C1D1-3)

E1: u-baak “the captive of”

A1-2: 7 Imix14 Sek

captive of

E2: ya-?-bahlam“Bird Jaguar”

A3: chuhkaj“is captured”

E3: k’uhul-?-ajaw “Holy Kingof Yaxchilan”

p

A4: U-”Jeweled

B1: u-cha’an “he is the master of”

Skull” C1: ko-te’-ajaw(name of thesecond captive”

D1: k’an-tok“K’an Tok”D2: WAY-IB(second part(second part of the name)D3: sajal (title of war leader)

Bird Jaguar IV, the King of Yaxchilan, and his sajal K’an Tok wayib captured Jeweled Skull and Kote’ Ajaw on 7 Imix 14 Sek (9.16.4.1.1 or May 5, 755)

DATES ： 9.16.4.1.1 7 Imix 14 Sek (5 May, 755) DESCRIPTIONDESCRIPTION This lintel depicts Bird Jaguar IV and his chief sajal taking captives in warfare. To the right, the king holds a spear and flexible shield in his left hand, and grasps the wrist of his captive (Jeweled Skull) with his right. To the left, K'an Tok Wayib grasps his captive (Kok Te' Ajaw) b th b th h i d hi h bi diboth by the hair and his heavy rope bindings.

TRANSCRIPTION, TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION

A1-4 E1-37- IMIX 14- ka-se chu-ka-ja u- ? U-ba-ki ya ?-BAHLAM K'UH-[PA']CHAN-AJAW

H k i i h l j k h hk j ? U b k ? b hl k' h l ' h jHuk-imix chanlajuun-kaseew, chuhkaj ?. U-baak ?-bahlam, k'uhul-pa'chan-ajaw.

"On 7 Imix 14 Sek, Jeweled Skull is captured. He is the prisoner of Bird Jaguar IV, holy lord of Pa'chan."

B1 C1 D1-3U-cha-CHAN ko-TE'-AJAW K'AN-*na-TOK-ko wa-WAY[bi] sa-ja-la

U-chan kokte'-ajaw k'antokwayib sajal.

"He is the master of Kokte' Ajaw. He is K'antokwayib the sajal" j y j

Lintel 24 Yaxchilan

DATES 9 13 17 15 12 5 Eb 15 M k (24 O t b 709)9.13.17.15.12 5 Eb 15 Mak (24 October, 709)

DESCRIPTION The lintel depicts Shield Jaguar III holding a large, flaming p g g g , gtorch over his wife or consort, Lady K'abal Xook, who draws a thorn-studded rope through her tongue. The text

l i b th f th t it ti l ifiexplains both of these events as penitential sacrifice.

A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1

F2F2

F3

G1 H1

F3

G2 H2

H3G3

H4G4

U-CH'AJB- 4-WINIKHAAB-AJAW

ti-5-EB15-ma-MAK-U-BAAH-hi

ti-CH'AJB-li

ti-K'AHK'-la-ju-lu15 ma MAK U BAAH hi ti-K AHK -la-ju-lu

On 5 Eb 15 Mak it is his image in ith th fi It i thpenance with the fiery spear. It is the

penance of the four k'atun lord, Shield Jaguar III, captor of Aj-?, holy lord of

?- BAHLAM-U-cha-CHAN-nu F1

pa'chan

a- ?- kiF2

K'UH- [ PA' ] CHAN-AJAW-waF3

T'abayi? y-uluC mo'chahk? Is elevated? the carving? of Mo' Chahk

U-BAAH-ti-CH'AJB-li T'AB?-yi

Is elevated? the carving? of Mo Chahk

IX-AK'IN?-na-XOOK?-ki

T AB? yi

IX AK IN? na XOOK? kiyu-lu-?

IX-k'a[ba]-la-XOOK?-ki MO'-CHAHK-ki?

IX-KAL-TE' a-?-la

U-baah ti-ch'ajb-il ix-ak'in?-xook, ix-k'abal-xook, ix-kaloomte' It is her image in penance, Lady Ak'in? Xook, Lady K'abal Xook, Lady Kaloomte'.

TRANSCRIPTION, TRANSLITERATION AND TRANSLATION

First passage (A1-F3): ti- 5-EB 15-ma-MAK-U-BAAH-hi ti-CH'AJB-li ti-K'AHK'-la-ju-luU-CH'AJB- 4- WINIKHAAB-AJAW ?- BAHLAM-U-cha-CHAN-nu a- ?- kiK'UH- [ PA' ] CHAN-AJAW-waTi ho'-eb ho'lajuun-mak, u-baah ti-ch'ajb-il ti-k'ahk'al-jul. U ch'ajb chan-winikhaab-ajaw ?-bahlam, u-chan aj-?, k'uhul-pa'chan-ajaw. "On 5 Eb 15 Mak it is his image in penance with the fiery spear. It is the penance of the four k'atun lord, Shield Jaguar III, captor of Aj-?, holy lord of pa'chan." S d (G1 G4)Second passage (G1-G4): U-BAAH-ti-CH'AJB-li IX-AK'IN?-na-XOOK?-ki IX-k'a[ba]-la-XOOK?-ki IX-KAL-TE' U baah ti ch'ajb il ix ak'in? xook ix k'abal xook ix kaloomte'U-baah ti-ch'ajb-il ix-ak'in?-xook, ix-k'abal-xook, ix-kaloomte' "It is her image in penance, Lady Ak'in? Xook, Lady K'abal Xook, Lady Kaloomte'." Third passage (H1 H4):Third passage (H1-H4): T'AB?-yi yu-lu- ? MO'-CHAHK-ki? a- ?- la T'abayi? y-uluC mo'chahk ? "Is elevated? the carving? of Mo' Chahk "Is elevated? the carving? of Mo Chahk.

Homework 5

(1) Use Maya syllable list to spell your name.

(2) Write the transliteration of the word: or(2) Write the transliteration of the word:

(note: the glyph is a fuse of two glyphs and

or

(3) Can you find any sites that provide Maya hieroglyphic fonts?

(4) Brief describe the liushu principles as you undersatnd them. Try to apply them to any of other writings.

(5) Briefly outline Bagley’s view on the origin of Chinese writing.

Due on 10/18 noonDue on 10/18 noon

Oracle bone inscriptions vs. modern Chinese

⾟丑 癸

丑丑⼘貞

丑⼘出今

⼣

出貞旬亡禍在在七⽉⽉

King list on oracle bones⼄未酒絲

報丙三

⼤丁絲

品上甲

三報丁三

丁⼗⼤甲甲

⼗報⼄

三⽰癸三

⼗⼤庚⼄

三 天⼄⼗

⼗⼩甲三

漢字的特性Characteristics of Chinese WritingCharacteristics of Chinese Writing

連續性發展⽣存四千年以上Continuous and surviving for over 4000 yearsContinuous and surviving for over 4000 years

唯⼀進⼊現代之起源⽂字The only one of the four original writings thatThe only one of the four original writings that entered the modern age

唯⼀不需解謎之起源⽂字唯⼀不需解謎之起源⽂字The only one of the four original writings that does not need to be deciphered

唯⼀形⾳義具全之⽂字The only writing in the world that is logographic

使⽤⼈數最多的⽂字The writing used by the largest number of people throughout the historypeople throughout the history

Xi i 象形 i i th h i t h

Liushu 六書： Six principles of constructing Chinese graphsXiang-xing 象形: mimic the shape, pictographs.

Zhi-shi 指事: pointing to situations simple ideographic words Zhi shi 指事: pointing to situations, simple ideographic words, indirect symbols.

H i i 會意 Hui-yi 會意: meeting ideas, compound ideographic words whose meaning is the function of their parts, associative compounds.

Zhuan-zhu 轉注: transferrable meaning, mutually interpretative symbols. (Polyvalence)

Jia-jie 假借: borrowing, phonetic loan character (rebus writing).

Xing-sheng 形聲: semantic-phonetic compound characters which consist of a Radical part which indicates meaning and a phonetic part which indicates sound, combination of sound and pictograph, determinative phonetics.

A d f th i i l iti sArea covered of three original writings