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

Variant: bifoliate

                                   

MC                               K&H                                              TOK.p9.r2.c4

 

                                             

MC                                       K&H                                         JM                                         TOK.p9.r2.c3

 

Graham

YAX HS3 Step 1 D8

<tu.<to:k’a>>.<tu.<pa:ka>.la>

 

Sub-variants (2, maybe 3?)

·     A. Without face:

·     B. With “face”:

o Three non-touching dots in a triangular formation.

o Point of the triangle can point to either left of right, independent of whether the leaves are on the left or right:

§ The triangle can point in the “same” direction as the leaves, or in the opposite direction.

§ The most common orientation is that the triangle points in the opposite direction to the leaves, but the other way around also occurs (as seen in the JM example).

·     C. “Reduced face”?:

o YAX HS3 Step 1 D8 has an unusual variant where there is a further non-cross-hatched area in the middle of the top of the cross-hatched area, which in turn has a short tick hanging from the middle of the top. This could in fact be the “face” variant (= with upside-down “la”-face), with the “mouth” of the face being reduced to a tick, and with the “eyes” disappearing completely. Furthermore, the “leaves” at the top are cross-hatched, which is quite unusual.

 

Notes

·     Do not confuse with si:

o tu has cross-hatched area (with optional face).

o si has three small non-touching dots in a row.