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

Translation: bean
Part of speech: Noun

Logogram spellings of ib

                                           

TOK.p13.r3.c4               MHD.ZHH.1&2&3&4                                                                     1576bb       1576bv        1576hh                       T709

IB?                                   IB                                                                                                       IB

 

·     Tokovinine-BaG (2014): this paper argues for the reading IB and the meaning “bean” for T709.

·     No glyphs given (head variant) in K&H, K&L, BMM9, 25EMC. This was (of course) not in EB (2009) as that was 5 years before the proposed decipherment but it has also not been taken up in K&H (2020), K&L (2018), BMM9 (2019), 25EMC (2020). All five of these reference works list only the more established bu-lu è bul = “bean”.

·     The fact that both MHD and Bonn give IB suggests that this reading IB is quite well accepted (with MHD giving the meaning not only as “bean”, but even as a very specific type of bean: “lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus)”.

·     Features:

o Top: (optional) a left and right scroll, each with its own protector.

o Bottom – boulder always divided into 2 parts by a horizontal line (optionally bold):

§ Top: (often) 3 non-touching dots in a triangular formation, pointing up = “upside-down face”.

§ Bottom – divided into 2 parts by a straight vertical band:

·       (Often) (slightly) curved L-shaped band from ceiling to one side of the vertical band. This can also be replaced by touching or non-touching dots, or the single band may be doubled (touching).

·       Two touching dots sticking out of the straight vertical band, on the side of the vertical band opposite to the curved L-shaped band. This can resemble the “wood property marker”.

·     There is a head variant which has many of the distinctive characteristics from the more abstract variant infixed into an anthropomorphic head.

·     IB = “bean” and SIBIK = “ink/soot” have many characteristics in common (see also SIBIK):

o They both have an optional top part – “left and right protected scrolls” in the case of IB and “KUCH” in the case of SIBIK.

o The non-optional parts of the two share many characteristic infixed elements:

§ The 3-dot triangle pointing up, of non-touching dots.

§ The vertical band with two touching dots on one side, resembling a TE’-like wood property marker.

§ An L-shaped element on the other side of the vertical band.

·     Distinguishing between IB and SIBIK:

o IB shares its optional “protected scrolls” top element with many other glyphs, and SIBIK shares its optional “KUCH” top element with t’o and one variant of k’o.

o The most drastically reduced form – T709 – could really be either IB or SIBIK, as it has only the distinguishing elements which are common to both.

o Context and the presence of one of their respective optional top elements helps to determine which of the two glyphs is present in an inscription.