Nikolai GRUBE

A Dictionary
of Classic Mayan

Notebook for the XXVIth
Maya Hieroglyphic Forum at Texas,
March 2002

Austin, University of Texas at Austin

2002

pages 83-87

A Dictionary of Classic Mayan 83

A Dictionary of Classic Mayan

Abbreviations:

adj adjective
adv adverb
cn numeral

classifier

d demonstrative
nr number
N name
p positional

part particle
n noun
vi intransitive

verb

vt transitive

verb

[C]

form attested only in the Codices

[WD] western dialect
[Y]

form attested only in Yucatan

underlining represents unspecified vowel
or consonant (especially in regard to the
distinction between long, short and
glottalized vowels or the distinction
between velar and glottal spirant)

* * *

A

aatnpenis
ab'

part

'so they say'

ah

vi

wake up, create

ahk n

turtle

ahk' vt give
ahk'ot n

dance

ahk'taj vi

dance

ajaw n

king,

lord

ajawil n

reign

ajmuuch n

toad

Akan

N

God of visions, enemas and
alcohol

akt vt loose,

drop

ak'ab n

night,

darkness

ak'ach n

turkey hen

al n woman's

offspring

al vt say
a'n

vi

be, exist (?)

at vt bathe
atan n

wife

atoot n

house,

home

ayiin n

alligator

B'

b'aah-aj n

front, top, first; face; image;
existence

b'aak n

bone

b'aak n

captive

b'aak

vt

make a captive

b'ahlam n

jaguar

b'aan

d

this, in this way

b'al-aj n

cover

b'a'tz' n

howler

monkey

b'ih n

road

b'ix vi go

away

-b'ix

cn

units of five and seven

bob

n

giant monster jaguar

b'oh vt

nail

b'ub'ul adj

frothy

b'uhk n

clothes

b'u'l n

bean

b'uluk nrY

eleven

b'ut' vt fill
b'utz'-aj n

smoke

CH

chaab n

honey

(?)

chaach n

basket

Chaahk N

Rain God

chahuk n

lightning

chak adj red
chak adj big
chakalte' n

Chicozapote

chakch'ok n

infant

chakte' n

cedar

cham vi

die

chan nr

four

chan n

serpent

chan n

sky

cha'n n

watching,

supervision

chapa'a[h]t n

centipede

chay n

fish

che' vi

(?)

say

che'b' n

brush

chel n

rainbow

chich n

prophecy,

word

chih

n

maguey; sweet (drink)

chij n

deer

chijlam n

translator (?)

chil chay n

manatee

chitam n

peccary

chiwoj n

tarantula

A Dictionary of Classic Mayan 84

chok vt

throw,

scatter

chuch n

cloth

chuk

vt

catch, grab, fetch

chum P

seated

chuwen n

artist

chuy vt

sow

CH'

ch'aah n

incense

ch'aaj n

drop

ch'aat n

dwarf

ch'ahb vi

fast;

create

ch'aho'om n

one who burns incense

ch'aj n

pinole

ch'ak vt

injure;

cut

ch'akte' n

bed; wooden cage

ch'am vt

take,

grab

ch'e'n n

cave,

cliff

ch'ok

n/aj

child, sprout; young, unripe

ch'oklel n

youth

E

e' n tooth
eb'e't n

messenger

ehb' n

stair,

ladder

ehm

vi

go down, come down

eht (?) n

likeness

ek' n star
el vi burn
elk'in n

east

H

ha' n water
ha'i' d

this

one

haab' n

year

ha'o'b d

those

ham P

open,

untie

-he'w cn

single

days

hil vi rest
hiin d

this

one

hinaj n

seed

hix n jaguar
ho' nr five
huj n iguana
hul vi arrive

(there)

hu'n n

book,

paper

hut n face;

fruit

I

i' n heron
i'

part

then, and then

ib'ach n

armadillo

ichaan n

mother's

brother

ichkil vi

bath

[C]

ichnal n

presence,

company

ihch'aak n

claw

ihtz'in n

younger

brother

ikaatz n

bundle;

cargo

ikim n

small

owl

ik' n wind
ik' adj black
ila' vt see,

witness

Itza' N

toponym

(?)

Itzamnaaj N

Name of Creator God

itz'aat n

wise

man

ixik n

woman

J

jaachh n

scratching,

incision

jaay n

drinking

cup

jal vt weave
jas vt clear

(?)

jatz' vi strike
jawante' n

deep plate

jay adj thin
jel

vt

take turn, replace

jich n

surface

(?)

joch' vt

drill

joloom n

head

jom vi sink
jop vt fill
joy vt bind,

wrap

joy n show
jub'

vt

lower, fall; break, destroy

jukuub' n

canoe

jul

vt

shoot with arrow or blowgun

juub' n

conch

trumpet

juuhch n

conch

juun nr

one

juuntan n

loved one

K

kab' n

earth

kab'

n

honey, bee [C]

kab'

vt

do, lit. "supervise"

kab'al adj

low,

down

kach vt

tie

kakaw n

Cacao tree, fruit and beverage

kan n

serpent

[Y]

Kase'ew N

Month Name

kay n

fish

kayo'm n

fisherman

kaywak n

jade celt

kej n deer

[Y]

kele'm n

young

boy

kele'm adj

strong

kob vt procreate
ko'haw n

helmet

koj vi go

down

kok n

small

turtle

A Dictionary of Classic Mayan 85

kohk vt

watch,

guard

Kokom N

Family Name (?) [Y]

kuch vt

carry

kuch n

load

kun

n

oven (?), platform (?)

kutz

n

wild turkey [C]

kuy n

big

owl

K'

k'a' vi terminate
k'aal n

enclosure,

room

k'aal n

score;

twenty

k'ab-is n

hand

k'aba' n

name

k'ahk' n

fire

k'ahn n

seat,

bench

k'al vt bind
k'an

adj

yellow; precious; ripe

K'anasiiy N

Month Name

K'anjala'b N

Month Name

K'anjalaw N

Month Name

K'ank'in N

Month name [Y]

k'as vs break
K'awiil N

Name of a God

k'ay n

song

k'ayo'm n

singer

k'in n

day;

sun

k'iwik n

market, central place (?)

k'o'b' n

hearth

k'oj n

mask

k'u' n nest
k'ub vt

deliver,

give

k'uh n

god

k'uhul adj

divine,

sacred

k'uk'

n

Quetzal bird; feather

Kusew N

month name [Y]

k'uuch n

vulture

[C]

k'uuhtz n

tobacco

k'ux vt

torture

L

lak n plate
lakam n

banner

lakam adj

enormous,

big

lam

P

go down, disappear

-lat

cn

suffix for elapsed time periods

laatz P

(?) stack

le' n noose

[C]

lok'

vi

go out, go away

luk' n

stucco

lum n

earth

M

ma' part no,

negative

maax n

spider

monkey

mach

part

no, negative particle

mahs n

cricket

mak vt

close

mak vt

promise

Mak N

Month

name

mak'

vt

eat (soft food) [C]

mam

n

grandfather; grandchild; old
man

masul (?)n

goblin, duende

mat n

crow

matan n

gift,

offering

matz

n

wise man [Y]

may n

gift,

offering

mayuy n

fog

mih adv nothing;

no

mim n

maternal

grandmother

mis vt sweep
miyaatz n

wise man

mo' n

Scarlet

Macaw

mol

vt

gather into a pile

Mol N

month

name

muuch n

toad

muk vt

bury

mu'k

n

message, attribute [C]

mukuuy n

dove

mut

n

knot of hair

muut n

bird;

omen

Muwaan N

mythical bird

muyal n

cloud

N

naah n

house

naahb n

pool,

sea

nah adv in

front,

first

nahb cn

hand

measure

naj

vi

fill up (?)

nak vt conquest
nal n elote
nal n native
naw vt adorn
neh n

tail

ne'en n

mirror

ni

n

nose, tip, top

nich n

flower

nojol n

south

nuch adv joined,

together

nuhk n

skin,

pelt

O

och vi enter
ochel n

entrance

ochk'in n

west

ohm n

foam

o'hl n

heart,

center

ok n foot,

leg

A Dictionary of Classic Mayan 86

okib'

s + inst. pedstal

o'n adj many
ook n

foot,

leg

oon n

family

otoot n

home

otoch n

home

[Y]

otooy adj

poisonous

ox nr three

[C]

P

pa' n cleft;

split

pa' n creek
pa' n mural
paach n

skin

paat n

back

Paax N

Month

Name

pach vt

select,

elect

pak P face

down

paka'ab n

door lintel

pakal n

shield

pak' vt mold
pal n child

[Y]

pas vt open
pas vi come

out

pasaj n

morning

pasil n

door

pat vt form,

build

pat n tribute,

work

pay n

leader

pet adj round
peten n

province,

island

pib' n

sweatbath

pih

s/cn

bundle; counts of 8000

pik n skirt
pik

cn

counts of 8000

pis

cn

counts of time periods

pitz adj beautiful
pitz n

ballgame

pixo'l n

hat,

headdress

pohp n

mat

pom n

incense

puj n cattail

reed

pul vi burn
puuk vi

scatter,

distribute

puuhtz' n

needle

puuy n

snail

pu'w n

blowgun

S

sa' n Atole
sab'ak n

soot, black powder

sajal ?

"provincial

gouverneur"

sak adj white
sakha' n

Atole

saku'n n

older brother [WD]

sa'm adv earlier

today

sat vt lose
sih n offering,

gift

sih (?) vi

be born

sil vt split
sin

vt

spread out [C]

sinan n

scorpion

[C]

sitz' adj swollen
sujuy

adj

virgin, clean [Y]

suku'un n

older brother

sus

vt

clean, peel off

suutz' n

bat

Suutz' N

Month

Name

T

ta

prep

in, at, by, with, on

taaj n

obsidian

tahn n

chest,

front

taj n pine

torch

tak' vt glue,

paste

tal vi arrive

(here)

tap vt douse
tat adj dense,

thick

te' n tree;

wood

-te

cn

classifier for low numbers

te'm n

bench

tek' vt step,

measure

tel n crest
ti

prep

at, by, to, with

ti' n mouth;

edge

tiil n tapir
tikil cn beings
til vi burn
tim vt adore
tis

n

body liquid, body wind

tojol n

price,

payment

tok vt burn
tokal n

cloud

to'k' n

flint

tuk

cn

pile in groups of 20 (?)

tu'p-aj n

earspool

tuun n

stone

T'

t'ab' vi go

up

t'ab'

vt

kindle fire, light, stir

t'uhl n

rabbit

TZ

tzak vt conjure,

gather

tzih

adj

new, fresh, raw

tzik vt count
tzu' n calabash
tzuk n

province,

segment

tzul n

dog

[C]

A Dictionary of Classic Mayan 87

tzutz vt

end

TZ'

tz'a' vt give

[Y]

tz'ak

P+vt

complete, whole; count

tz'ap

vt

stack; erect; drive into ground

tz'i' n dog
tz'ihb n

writing

tz'ihbal n

picture, painting

tz'unun n

hummingbird

tz'uutz' n

coati; lit. "sucker"

U

u' n moon
ub'te n

tribute

cloth

uch' n

head

louse

uh-aj n

necklace

uht

vi

happen; terminate, finish

uk' vt drink
uk'ib' n

drinking

vessel

ul n Atole
ulum n

turkey

[C]

unen n

child,

baby

Uniiw n

Month

Name

usiij n

vulture

(?)

uutz adj good
ux nr three

W

wa'

P

erect, stood up

waaj n

tamale

waax n

fox

wak nr six
wal adv now
waxak nr

eight

way

n

animal companion spirit;
"Nagual"

we' vi eat
wi' n root
wi'il adv remaining
winak n

man; person; twenty

winal

n

twenty day month

winbah n

image

winik

n

twenty day month

witz n

hill,

mountain

Wooh N

Month

Name

woj n

hieroglyph

wol vi wrap

up

wuk nr seven

X

xa adv

again

xaman n

north

xib' n

male

person

xin adj stinking

xin prep

in,

inside

xok vt count,

read

xolte' n

staff

xook n

shark

Y

ya' adv there
yal vt throw

down

yax adj green/blue
Yaxk'in N

Month Name

yaxuun n

cotinga bird

yokib' n

entrance

yuhk vt

shake

yul vt polish,

brush

yum

n

boss, family head

yuwal adv

then

(?)