·     Stuart-MaM.p4.c1.para4-p5 (2021):

o Provides a good argument for treating the yehmal in the phrase yehmal K’uk’ Lakam Witz as being a relational noun / preposition qualifying the toponym K’uk’ Lakam Witz rather than as the first part of the name of the toponym (often in that case translated as “descending”). Stuart’s argument is based on the existence of Ch’orti’ ejmar, Spanish “abajo”, English “below”.

o Proposes that Lakam be translated as “Banner” rather than “Great” based on the reasoning that:

§ It’s unlikely that k’uk’ and lakam would function as individual modifiers on witz, in that particular order.

§ A representation of an actual quetzal banner (k’uk’ lakam) appears on Stela 5 of Piedras Negras, as part of the headdress of K’inich Yo’nal Ahk.

·     AT-YT2021-lecture20.t1:06:13-1:08:03 (in explaining PAL TS F15-E16/O15-N16 yehmal k’uk’ lakam witz) supports this view. Tokovinine also explains that:

o Traditionally, the entire four words are seen as the location phrase, with an implicit/unwritten ti preposition preceding it: Yehmal K’uk’ Lakam Witz = “upon the Great Mountain of the Quetzal’s Descent”.

o The new interpretation makes yehmal into a sort of preposition (also citing Ch’orti ejmar), here explicitly written: yehmal K’uk’ Lakam Witz = “beneath the Quetzal Banner Mountain… ”.

Tokovinine further explains that finding the temple itself would settle the matter, as the first interpretation implies that the location is (more or less) on top of the mountain, while the second interpretation would have the location if not at the very foot of the mountain, then at least not at the top, i.e. (more or less) at the bottom.

·     Although it has the outward appearance of a possessed inflection of ehm, I’m treating it as a fossilized inflection that functions as a fixed and independent word. That’s the reason that this entry is listed under y- rather than e- (in a similar way to yitaaj, yichnal, etc).

·     The head variant of ye is well-documented in the textbooks and teaching materials: 25EMC.pdfp27, BMM9.p7, TOK.p25.r5.c2; often with a trilobate element covering the eye, but not in the case of the examples given here.