·     MHD is the only source I’ve found so far which recognizes this glyph:

o MHD gives it the 3-character code ZV3.

o MHD gives it the description: inverted vase with large curl (which seems to me to be a very appropriate description).

o MHD doesn’t commit to it being either a syllabogram or logogram.

o MHD doesn’t give it even a tentative pronunciation.

·     It should be emphasized that kib is not the reading for this carved glyph on the two YAX monuments. It is merely nicknamed “KIB” based on its resemblance to the codical variant of the (Yucatec) day name KIB. There is probably no relationship between these two at all:

o They have different codepoints in MHD – the monumental glyph is ZV3 while the codical glyph is XH8 (what is the Bonn position on this?).

o The monumental glyph has an inverted-olla outline while the codical glyph doesn’t.

·     A search on MHD with “blcodes contains ZV3” yields 8 hits, but only two hits are given (even) a tentative reading – the rest are rendered as ?? or __.

·     The two hits with a tentative reading are YAX HS4 Step 3 C4 and YAX Lintel 16 B2 (i.e. the examples given above).

·     In these two instances, the reading is not assigned as kib?, i.e. not in the usual way of other tentative readings. Instead, it’s given (only) in the full context of “Yax Kib Took’”, with deliberate double quotes around the whole name, as a way of saying “not really this, but useful as a stopgap measure” (same as my usage of “UHMAN”). And this “reading” is only given to these two – context sensitive – usages of ZV3, i.e. when preceded by YAX and followed by TOOK’, both from monuments from YAX. I.e., it’s a sort of “placeholder” reading – i.e. one known not to be correct, but used nevertheless for convenience, with the double quotes acting as “scare quotes”:

o The “KIB” (deliberately with double quotes) is because it resembles a variant of the Tzolk’in day name KIB, specifically the codex variant.

o Going into the “Codical - Blocks” option of MHD and searching on “blcodes contains XH8” returns 223 hits:

§ DRE: 80 hits.

§ MAD: 132 hits.

§ PAR: 11 hits.

Spot checks on these hits show that they consistently have a large spiral in the middle – the inspiration for the nickname of the monumental glyphs of YAX.

FGtMCG.pdfp9.#6.7&8	DRE (MHD) 03a ZA4	MAD (MHD) 2b-3b ZA1	PAR (MHD) 21-22 C5

 

·     Prager-ÜAidKMR-p1.p244.pdfp258.tab16(continued).#1&2 also supports this convention:

o YAX Lnt. 16: yax kib took' aj wak'aab u sajal pay lakam chahk wak'aab ajaw.

o YAX HS. 4: yax kib took'.

·     Both MHD and Prager-ÜAidKMR-p1 support using kib as the nickname for this ruler “Yax ? Took’”, which is a good reason for me to want to record it here. It’s a handy way to search for and refer to this glyph, as long as it’s always referred to in double quotes, much like “UHMAN”.