Mathews
BPK Stela 2 D5
<nu:pa>.ja
· EB.p137.pdfp142.#5: nup- tv. to join together » nu-pa-ja > nu[h]paj “joined together is” (the reference given is BPK Stela 2, but the glyph-block reference is E5 rather than D5 – this is probably because of a slightly different system of glyph-block labelling, starting on the left with A).
· On the basis of the iconography and the context of glyphic text, Bíró-ONtM proposes the meaning “to marry” for the verb nup (with nuhpaj being the form shown on BPK Stela 2 D5). Further supporting evidence is the meaning of inflections of various words descended from the verb in the modern Mayan languages – Bíró-ONtM.p6 (English from Google Translate):
o YUK nup aj junto “together”.
o CHT nup-u v juntar “put together”.
o CHR nup' v juntar “put together”.
o CHL nujpun aj casarse “to get married”.
o CHL nup' v cerrar “to close”.
o TZE nuhpun vi casarse “to get married”.
o TOJ nup-an vi casarse “to get married”.
Bíró-ONtM (implicitly) warns against assigning modern English translations for two other verbs ma(h)k = “to cover” – found in the passive as mahkaj – and naw = “to present” – found in the passive as nahwaj – on (among others) PNG Stela 1, 3, and 8. Informally, these have been viewed as the verbs related to engagement/betrothal and marriage respectively.