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

Variant: boulder without bay

                                             

MC                              K&H                       JM                     JM                                TOK.p13.r1.c2

 

                                                

Stuart-ANVotSk.p4.fig5c                        

CPN 19469 (disc altar)                             

 

                                                                                               

Looper                                                     Zender&Guenter-TKoLCT.p1.fig1                     Graham = KuppratApp.#2                   

QRG Stela I C8                                        TRT Monument 6                                                YAX Lintel 31 K5                                    

<ch’a:<jo.ja>>.<u.K’AHK’>                    IX.<wa:na:<k’o.jo>>                                            TZUTZ.<jo:ma>                                      

 

·     Without a bay on the bottom left of the boulder:

o TUUN/ku-like outline, optionally with reinforced inner wall.

o Two or three indentations on the left all and left side of floor.

o Three non-touching dots in a row, diagonally; middle dot slightly larger than the other two.

o (Optionally) struts from inner wall (bold in this case) to the ceiling.

·     QRG Stela I C8:

o Has a form of jo that is quite difficult to recognize.

o Not only that, but the reading order is slightly unexpected, making it slightly more difficult to work out what is written.

o <ch’a:<jo.ja>>.<u.K’AHK’> needs to be read jo-ch’a-ja u-K’AHK’ è johch’aj uk’ahk’ = “it was drilled, the fire of …”.

 

Variant: boulder with bay

         

MC                              K&H

 

·     Three-quarter circle of boulder outline, with bold inner bottom, sides, and top.

·     With a bay on the bottom left of the boulder. The bay faces outwards in the bottom left corner, also with reinforced wall (outer wall of bay, but inner wall of boulder).

·     Three non-touching dots in a triangular formation, diagonal pointing down, i.e. a “face”.

·     One and a half very slightly curved struts at the top. The phrase “one and a half struts” means one strut and one slightly curved line (alternatively, a single strut with one wall a bold wall.

 

Variant: symmetric face

                                             

MC                     Stuart-ANVotSk.p4.fig5d              Stuart-ONojaw.p1.fig1

                           Dresden 6b                                      Dresden Codex

 

·     Nickname: “Face in Renaissance Window”.

·     Stuart-ONojaw.p1.fig1: A late example of the jo syllable from the Dresden Codex.

·     Sergei Vepretskii:

o This variant was removed from some textbooks (perhaps because it is a codex glyph and from a later period).

o In the Classic period, there were ceramics in codex style (=red border and crème background), but it is uncertain to what extent these were similar to the codex glyphs of the Classic period.

o Note that the glyphs on ceramics are significantly different from the (later) codex glyphs – they are both different from the monumental glyphs but also different from one another.

 

Variant: early jo

                                                                

Stuart-ANVotSk.p4.fig5a            Stuart-ANVotSk.p4.fig5b         

 

Stuart-MoTM6.p1.fig1

TRT Monument 6 O2

2TZUTZ.<jo:ma>

 

·      That the glyph with a large spiral / scroll starting from the bottom left and occupying a large part of the centre is an early form of jo is given in Stuart-ANVotSk.fig5, supported by the word tzutzjoom written 2TZUTZ.<jo:ma>, with this variant of jo.

·      The earlier form has optional “horseshoes” and/or optional butterfly/bow-tie ma-like element on top.