The 20 day signs of the Maya are well known and they form the basis of the 260 day tzolk'in calendar. The Yucatec version of the names are the best known, with some using the Quiche names. The much later Aztec names are used by others. The Ch'orti' names are much less known.
These are the 20 Ch'orti' day signs that I was provided in 2010 during my visit to Jocotán, Guatemala, and the Comunidad Linguística Ch'orti' (Morwa'r Ojroner Ch'orti'). The Ch'orti' names would be the original names. The Quiche and Yucatec day sign names would have begun to diverge from the proto-Ch'orti' sometime after 2000 BCE when those two language groups were formed.
|
Ch'orti' |
English |
Quiche |
Yucatec |
Aztec |
|
Imi'x |
Cutting movement |
Imox |
Imix |
Cipactli |
|
Ik'ar |
Wind |
Iq' |
Ik |
Ehecatl |
|
Akb'ar |
Night |
Aq'ab'al |
Ak'bal |
Calli |
|
Kach |
Crystal (saltpeter) |
K'at |
Kan |
Cuetzpallin |
|
Chichchan |
Giant Serpent |
Kan |
Chikchan |
Coatl |
|
Chamer |
Death |
Kame |
Kimi |
Miquitzli |
|
Ch'i' |
Growth |
Kej |
Manik' |
Mazatl |
|
K'anir |
Yellow star |
Q'anil |
Lamat |
Tochtli |
|
Tojma'r |
Payment made |
Toj |
Muluk |
Atl |
|
Tz'i' |
Dog |
Tz'i' |
Ok |
Izcuintli |
|
B'atz |
Sterile/Monkey |
B'atz' |
Chuen |
Ozomatli |
|
B'i'r |
Water course; Trail |
E |
Eb |
Malinalli |
|
B'ajk' |
Cultivation |
Aj |
Ben |
Acatl |
|
B'ajram |
(Tame) Jaguar |
Ix |
Ix |
Ocelotl |
|
Tz'ikin |
Clay and sticks |
Tz'ikin |
Men |
Cuauhtli |
|
Ajmok |
The sick one |
Ajmak |
Kib |
Cozcacuauhtli |
|
Noj |
Greatness |
No'j |
Caban |
Ollin |
|
Etz'nab' |
Study-or-forget |
Tijax |
Etz'nab |
Tecpatl |
|
Kawe't |
Our companion, neighbor |
Kawuq |
Kawak |
Quiahuitl |
|
Ajchuk |
The observer, the present one |
Junajpu |
Ahaw |
Xochitl |
Hopefully the Ch'orti' day signs will begin to be used by scholars and practitioners of Mayan spirituality.
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