CMGG entry for syllabogram bu      (This article is part of the Learner's Maya Glyph Guide.)

Variant: head

                                 

MC  = K&H                          K&H workbook                    JM                                       TOK.p36.r3.c4

 

                         

MC = K&H               JM                    TOK.p8.r3.c4

 

(Tokovinine lecture/lesson lost reference) In the early stages of the Classic Maya script, bu and mu were not distinguished, probably because they were borrowed from a language which didn’t distinguish between b and m. But as this distinction is important in Classic Maya, they gradually developed two different forms:

·    bu with dots on the scroll

·    mu without dots on the scroll

 

Sub-variants (2)

·    A. Full: head with “leaf” on the left (usually just a boulder outline instead of a leaf outline)

o Left: boulder with bold scroll inside – the scroll has two or three dots on the outer edge, optionally cross-hatched.

o Right: head, which can be “turtle”, “bird” or “skull”-like

·    B. Reduced: left part only.