mong the Indians for
knife is to "cut past the mouth with the raised right hand," which, if
figured, would probably bear some resemblance to the marks on this
symbol.[232-2]

THE SEVENTH DAY

Maya, _manik_; Tzental, _moxic_; Quiche-Cakchiquel, _queh_; Zapotec,
_china_; Nahuatl, _mazatl_.

The symbol for this day, shown in plate LXVIII, 31, is without any
change worthy of notice, the only difference observable being a greater
or less degree of perfection with which it has been drawn by the
aboriginal artist. It is found, however, in various combinations where
it is subject to variation in form, if these in truth be intended for
this symbol. As Brasseur de Bourbourg has suggested, this appears to
have been taken from the partially closed hand, where the points of the
fingers are brought round close to the tip of the thumb. Whether
intended to show the palm or back outward is uncertain, though
apparently the latter. The nearest approach I find among the Indian
signs figured by Colonel Mallery is that denoting "little, diminutive,
small." But the position of the hand in the symbol appears to indicate
the act of grasping; either signification gives _ch_ as the chief
phonetic element of the Maya word _chan_ and _chichan_, signifying
"little," and _chuc_, _chucah_, "to grasp, to seize" ("alcanzar, asir,
prender," Perez); or _chuuc_, "to take, grasp, catch, seize,"
Henderson.[232-3] It would seem from this that if the symbol is phonetic
in any sense, the chief element of the word indicated is _ch_. The
supposition by Drs Schellhas and Seler that this symbol sometimes
contains the elements of the sign of the four winds or wind cross,
appears to be without any real foundation. The partial cross-shape
figure in it is merely the conventional method of drawing the opening
between the fingers, and would be just as correctly given as an oval as
an inverted _tau_.

As this interpretation of the symbol is quite different from that given
by other writers, some evidence to justify it is presented here.

Attention is called first to the symbol for "west," shown in plate LXIV,
53. The lower portion is the recognized symbol for _kin_, "day" or
"sun," and the upper portion is beyond question the _manik_ character.
As _chikin_ is the Maya name for "west," we are justified in assuming
that here at least this _manik_ symbol is to be interpreted by _chi_,
and is in some sense phonetic. As _china_ is the Zapotec name of the
day, and signi