CMGG entry for chaak      (This article is part of the Learner's Maya Glyph Guide.)
From: Lee, S. Classic Maya Glyph Guide, Part 1. Amsterdam: Self-published, 2023-2025. Contact: maya.glyphs@yahoo.com.
For sources given below as abbreviations under the glyphs or in the text, hover on the abbreviation to bring up the reference. For the full list of references and their abbreviations, see here.

Alternative readings: CHAHK
Translation: Chaak, God B
Part of speech: Noun

Logogram spellings of chaak

                                                

K&Hhttps:/​/​www.mesoweb.com/​resources/​handbook/​IMH2020.pdf Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs (Kettunen & Helmke; 17th revised edition, 2020).p80.#7                   K&LKettunenLacadena.pdf Methods in Maya Hieroglyphic Studies (Harri Kettunen & Alfonso Lacadena; 2018).p31.#3                                                                                                     BMM9BMM9.pdf 9th Bratislava Maya Meeting (Beliaev, Safronov; 2019).p14.r4.c4                  MCReading the Maya Glyphs (Coe, van Stone; 2001).p111.#1

CHAK.ki                          CHAK                                                                                                                CHAHK                                    CHAAK.ki

 

                                                                                

K&Hhttps:/​/​www.mesoweb.com/​resources/​handbook/​IMH2020.pdf Introduction to Maya Hieroglyphs (Kettunen & Helmke; 17th revised edition, 2020).p73.H1                      TOKhttps:/​/​www.mesoweb.com/​resources/​catalog/​Tokovinine_​Catalog.pdf Beginner's Visual Catalog of Maya Hieroglyphs (Tokovinine; 2017).p29.r2.c1                  JMDictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs (Montgomery; 2002).p48.#3                  JMDictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs (Montgomery; 2002).p48.#4                   JMDictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs (Montgomery; 2002).p49.#1                          JMDictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs (Montgomery; 2002).p49.#2

CHAK.ki                              CHAHK                               CHAAK                        CHAAK                         CHAAK                                CHAAK:ki

 

·    Features:

o Large “nose”.

o Mouth tendril.

o Back of head (i.e. whole right side) has an “ear” along the whole length – a component which somewhat resembles an infixed yu:

§ The bottom part can optionally have 3 tiny non-touching dots in a triangular formation pointing up (an upside-down face) or the reduced variant of la; Dorota Bojkowska: it’s rather common to find this element at the bottom of the ear in gods, not just Chaak.

§ The middle element can have the middle of the left side protruding inwards, with 2-5 tiny non-touching dots inside (typically 3), somewhat resembling a spondylus shell:

·        Dorota Bojkowska: the common understanding among epigraphers is that the ear of K’awiil is a spondylus shell.

·        But the element in Chaak protrudes inwards (on the left side) while the spondylus shell protrudes outwards.

o Optional: phonetic complement ki – where the three god heads Chaak, K’awiil, Yopaat can sometimes be difficult to tell apart, the (occasional) phonetic complements of (respectively) ki, la, ti can be helpful.

 

Syllabogram spellings of chaak

                                                       

JMDictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs (Montgomery; 2002).p53.#4                    JMDictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs (Montgomery; 2002).p54.#1                               MCReading the Maya Glyphs (Coe, van Stone; 2001).p111.#2                               Montgomery

                                                                                                                                             Cleveland Panel I3

cha:ki                            cha.ki                                        cha.ki                                          cha.ki

 

·    MCReading the Maya Glyphs (Coe, van Stone; 2001) says that  MCReading the Maya Glyphs (Coe, van Stone; 2001).p111.#2 is a codex form.