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The duplication diacritic: A case study of variation and change in Mayan writing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2024

David F. Mora-Marín Open the ORCID record for David F. Mora-Marín [Opens in a new window]
David F. Mora-Marín*
Affiliation:
Department of Linguistics, University of North Carolina, 307 Smith Building, CB #3155, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
*
Corresponding author: David F. Mora-Marín, Email: davidmm@unc.edu
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Abstract

This article studies the duplication diacritic of Epigraphic Mayan (ISO 639-3 emy) during the Classic period (a.d. 200–900). Cataloged as grapheme 22A, it consists of two dots optionally and rarely affixed to another grapheme to command the reader, in the majority of cases, to read a syllabogram twice in sequence. This article reviews prior literature on the diacritic, elaborates a typology of four distinct but ultimately related functions, and employs a data set compiled by means of the Maya Hieroglyphic Database to determine via statistical tests whether scriptal, linguistic, media, geographic, and temporal factors were influential in its distribution, and more narrowly, its various functions. The results indicate that two lexemes, käkäw ‘cacao’ and k'ahk’ ‘fire,’ account for several of the scriptal and linguistic traits that show significant relationships with 22A, with the former, käkäw, likely serving as a major prototype in the evolution of 22A. It is also pointed out that 22A is absent from the Postclassic (a.d. 900–1521) codices, suggesting that one of the Classic regional subtraditions with lowest frequency of use of 22A may have been a direct ancestor of the subtraditions responsible for the codices.

Resumen

Resumen

Este artículo estudia el diacrítico de duplicación del maya epigráfico (ISO 639-3 emy) durante el período Clásico (200–900 d.C.). Catalogado como el grafema 22A, consta de dos puntos añadidos opcional e infrecuentemente a otro grafema para comandar, en la mayoría de los casos, que el lector lea un silabograma dos veces seguidas. Este artículo revisa la literatura previa sobre el diacrítico, elabora una tipología de cuatro funciones distintas pero en última instancia relacionadas, y emplea un conjunto de datos recopilados por medio de la Maya Hieroglyphic Database (MHD) o Base de Datos de Jeroglíficos Mayas por Looper y Macri (1991–2023), para determinar, por medio de pruebas estadísticas, si los factores escriturarios, lingüísticos, mediáticos, geográficos y temporales influyeron en su distribución y, más específicamente, en sus diversas funciones. Tales funciones incluyen la duplicación secuencial (Stuart 2014), la duplicación no-secuencial (Stuart 2014; Zender 1999), la marcación de logogramas verbales con raíces C1VC1 (Kettunen and Helmke 2020; Prager 2020) y la abreviación colocacional (supra-grafémica) (Mora-Marín 2022b). Los resultados indican que dos lexemas, käkäw ‘cacao’ y k‘ahk’ ‘fuego', explican varios de los rasgos lingüísticos y escriturarios que muestran relaciones significativas con 22A, y que el primero, käkäw, probablemente sirvió como un prototipo importante en la evolución de 22A. También se señala que 22A está ausente de los códices del Posclásico (900–1521 d.C.), lo que sugiere que por lo menos una de las subtradiciones regionales del Clásico con menor frecuencia de uso de 22A (norte, sur, Pasión) puede haber sido un antepasado directo de las subtradiciones responsables de los códices.

Keywords

Mayan epigraphyMayan linguisticsVariationist approachDuplication diacritic
Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , Summer 2024 , pp. 562 - 587
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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