CMGG entry for k'a'ay u-sak-xaak      (This article is part of the Learner's Maya Glyph Guide and Concordance.)

Alternative readings: SAAK-IK'-IL
Translation: die
Part of speech: Verb

Spellings of k'a'ay u-sak-xaak

Coll-2

TRT Monument 6 L5-K6

<K’A’.yi>:u <SAK[<XAAK/SAAK>]>.IK’{il}

 

                                                                                      

K&H.p17.#3                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

YAX lintel 27 F2                                  YAX Lintel 27 A2-B2                                      YAX Lintel 59 L-M                                     YAX Lintel 28 S1b-T1

<K’A’:yi>.u.<SAK[XAAK]:IK’>             K’A’:yi u.SAK[XAAK].<IK’:li>                          K’A’:yi  <u:SAK[XAAK]>.<IK’:*li>           K’A’:yi  u.<SAK[XAAK]>.<?:IK’:li>

 

YAX Lintel 27 A2-B2

K’A’:yi u.<SAK[XAAK]:IK’:li>

 

·     Some sources give this as k’a’ay sak-nik’-il (older, superseded), should be k’a’ay sak-xaak/saak-ik’-il.

·     Earlier and current readings:

o There are many instances with end phonetic complement of ki.

o The reading was formerly thought to be bok or nik, due to similarities to words of similar meaning in the modern Maya languages, ending in -k

o Then it was found on the Komkom vase that there is an end phonetic complement of ka.

o The Komkom vase is late – when the vowels were already starting to become short, so change from -ki to -ka shows that it went from -aa- to -a-; this is because:

§ If the root vowel had been -i- then the ki would have meant that the root vowel was short, and that wouldn’t have had a change of end phonetic complement at all (as there wouldn’t have been any shortening).

§ If the vowel had been -o- then that would have been -oo-, and shortening wouldn’t have resulted in a change of end phonetic complement ka, but rather to ko.

o For these reasons, we know that the original vowel was -aa-.

o Similarities to words of similar meaning in the modern Maya languages, ending in -ak suggest xaak or saak.