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Domain Model: Spelling Variation

Maya calendar names have been spelled in many different ways by different scholars and in different time periods. This library supports multiple orthographic conventions and can normalize alternative spellings to canonical forms.

Orthographic Conventions​

This library supports three main orthographic conventions:

  1. Modern Mayanist - Contemporary epigraphic convention with glottalized consonants
  2. Modern Variant - Common modern variant spellings found in recent literature
  3. Older 16th Century - Traditional Thompson/Landa conventions from colonial sources

Tzolkin Day Names​

The 20 day names of the Tzolkin calendar have the following attested spellings:

#CanonicalModern MayanistModern VariantOlder 16th CAlternative Forms
1ImixImix1234Imix1234Imix1234—
2Ik'Ik'135Ik'135Ik24—
3Ak'balAk'bal13Ak'bal13Akbal24—
4K'anK'an13K'an13Kan24—
5ChikchanChikchan13Chikchan13Chicchan24—
6KimiKimi135Kimi135Cimi24—
7Manik'Manik124Manik'3Manik124—
8LamatLamat1234Lamat1234Lamat1234—
9MulukMuluk13Muluk13Muluc24—
10OkOk13Ok13Oc24—
11ChuwenChuwen13Chuwen13Chuen24—
12EbEb1234Eb1234Eb1234—
13BenBen1234Ben1234Ben1234—
14IxIx1234Ix1234Ix1234—
15MenMen1234Men1234Men1234—
16KibKib13Kib13Cib24—
17KabanKaban13Kaban13Caban24—
18Etz'nabEtz'nab1234Edznab67Etz'nab1234—
19KawakKawak13Kawak13Cauac24—
20AjawAjaw1385Ahaw9Ahau24—

Haab Month Names​

The 19 month names (18 regular months + Wayeb) have the following attested spellings:

#CanonicalModern MayanistModern VariantOlder 16th CAlternative Forms
1PopPohp1Pop239410Pop239410—
2WoWo139Wo139Uo24—
3SipSip139Sip139Zip24—
4Sotz'Sots'1Sotz'39Zotz'24—
5SekTsek1Tzek298Zec114Sek
6XulXul12394Xul12394Xul12394—
7Yaxk'inYaxk'in1398Yaxk'in1398Yaxkin24—
8MolMol12394Mol12394Mol12394—
9Ch'enCh'en12394Ch'en12394Ch'en12394—
10YaxYax12394Yax12394Yax12394—
11SakSak139Sak139Zac24Zak
12KehKeh1395Keh1395Ceh24—
13MakMak139Mak139Mac24—
14K'ank'inK'ank'in139K'ank'in139Kankin24—
15MuwanMuwan1398Muwan1398Muan24—
16PaxPax12394Pax12394Pax12394—
17K'ayabK'ayab139K'ayab139Kayab24—
18Kumk'uKumk'u139Kumk'u139Cumku24—
19WayebWayeb139Wayeb139Uayeb24—

References​

Footnotes​

  1. Gerardo Aldana (2022). "Maya Calendar and Mesoamerican Astronomy". Encyclopedia of the History of Science (Carnegie Mellon University). https://ethos.lps.library.cmu.edu/article/id/520/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45 ↩46 ↩47 ↩48 ↩49 ↩50 ↩51 ↩52 ↩53 ↩54 ↩55 ↩56 ↩57 ↩58 ↩59 ↩60 ↩61 ↩62 ↩63 ↩64 ↩65 ↩66 ↩67 ↩68 ↩69 ↩70 ↩71 ↩72 ↩73 ↩74 ↩75 ↩76 ↩77 ↩78 ↩79 ↩80 ↩81 ↩82 ↩83 ↩84 ↩85

  2. Unknown (n.d.). "Maya Cycles of Time (PDF)". Mathematical Association of America (maa.org PDF). https://old.maa.org/sites/default/files/pdf/cms_upload/MayaTimeCycles2-143624.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45 ↩46 ↩47 ↩48 ↩49 ↩50 ↩51 ↩52 ↩53 ↩54 ↩55 ↩56 ↩57 ↩58 ↩59 ↩60 ↩61 ↩62 ↩63 ↩64

  3. Simon Martin (2012). "Maya Calendars". Expedition Magazine / Penn Museum. https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/maya-calendars/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45 ↩46 ↩47 ↩48 ↩49 ↩50 ↩51 ↩52 ↩53 ↩54 ↩55 ↩56 ↩57 ↩58 ↩59 ↩60 ↩61 ↩62 ↩63 ↩64 ↩65 ↩66 ↩67 ↩68 ↩69 ↩70 ↩71 ↩72 ↩73 ↩74 ↩75 ↩76 ↩77 ↩78 ↩79 ↩80 ↩81 ↩82 ↩83 ↩84

  4. J. Eric S. Thompson (1950). "Maya Hieroglyphic Writing: Introduction". Mesoweb online edition. https://www.mesoweb.com/publications/Thompson/Thompson1950.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42 ↩43 ↩44 ↩45 ↩46 ↩47 ↩48 ↩49 ↩50 ↩51 ↩52 ↩53 ↩54 ↩55 ↩56 ↩57 ↩58 ↩59 ↩60 ↩61 ↩62 ↩63 ↩64

  5. David Stuart (2006). "The Inscriptions from Temple XIX at Palenque (Chapter 6 PDF excerpt)". Mesoweb-hosted PDF. https://www.mesoweb.com/publications/stuart/TXIX/txixch6.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  6. David Stuart (2007). "The Year 2012 and the End of the World (mentions Edznab in year-bearer context)". Maya Decipherment. https://mayadecipherment.com/2007/05/08/the-year-2012-and-the-end-of-the-world/ ↩

  7. Karl Taube (2021). "Karl Taube: Works (PDF)". University of California, Riverside repository (snippet). https://escholarship.org/content/qt8t32t73q/qt8t32t73q.pdf ↩

  8. David Stuart (2001). "Ritual and History in a Stucco Inscription from Temple XIX at Palenque". PARI Journal (Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute). https://www.precolumbia.org/pari/publications/journal/01/Ritual-and-History.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  9. Maya Decipherment (David Stuart / collaborators) (n.d.). "Period Ending List (PDF)". Maya Decipherment. https://mayadecipherment.com/resources/period-ending-list/period-ending-list.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25 ↩26 ↩27 ↩28 ↩29 ↩30 ↩31 ↩32 ↩33 ↩34 ↩35 ↩36 ↩37 ↩38 ↩39 ↩40 ↩41 ↩42

  10. Alexandre Tokovinine et al. (2024). "Using 3D Scanner to Explore the Maya Calendar System on Caracol Altar 2 (and related discussion of Vague Year)". Cambridge University Press (Antiquity Project Gallery). https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/using-3d-scanner-to-explore-the-maya-calendar-system-on-caracol-altar-2-in-belize/53056A66BACB2A9C92B755E7B3E7D886 ↩ ↩2

  11. D. H. Kelley (1980). "Astronomical Identities of Mesoamerican Gods". Journal for the History of Astronomy (via NASA ADS full text). https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1980JHAS...11....1K ↩