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

Translation: decrease, diminish; elapse
Part of speech: Verb

Logogram spellings of lam

A black and white drawing of a basket Description automatically generated                                                         A black and white drawing of a symbol Description automatically generated                  

K&L.p38.#5.1&2&3 =  25EMC.pdfp41.#4.1&2&3                    TOK.p34.r2.c1                    BMM9.p20.r5.c1               

LAM                                LAM                                                          LAM                                     LAM                                     

 

·    No glyphs given in K&H.

·    Features:

o Top: reduced variant of ma.

o Middle: one or two (stacked) horizontal bars.

o Bottom:

§ MIH, with

§ Infixed AT.

·    Distinguish LAM from tza:

o Similarities:

§ Top: reduced (“butterfly”) variant of ma.

§ Middle: one or two horizontal bars.

o Differences –LAM:

§ Has MIH on the bottom while tza has: “lemon outline” or “gearwheel” or “boulder outline”.

§ Mnemonic: LAM is decreasing to MIH (zero) – logograms belong with logograms.

o However, in both cases LAM or tza, the bottom element loses part of its top outline, in joining to the horizontal bar(s).

·    In the closing presentation of the UTA-MAM 2021, Stuart explained that the meaning of LAM is not the traditional “diminish” but instead “calm” -> “healthy”. It is included along with YAX and K’AN (and JUUN-IXIIM, spondylus shell) in a series of stucco panels at PAL, where each panel has one of these glyphs around the border. They all convey godly beneficence.