History of the Spanish Conquest of Yucatan and of the Itzas / Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Hard University. Vol. VII.

by Philip Ainsworth Means

The dialect of Peten is spoken in the Partido de las Sabanas at

Villages: Guadalupe Saduk, Tziché, Chilonché
S. Juan de Dios, Oxpayac, Simaron,
Chachachurun, Santa Ana, Juntecholol.

It is spoken in the Partido de Dolores at
Dolores, Machaquita, Petenzuc, Poctun,
San Toribio, Yaxché (= Yaxha?), San Luis.

And in the Partido del Centroat
San José. In the other villages of the Partido del Centro, and in that of San Antonio, the Yucatec dialect is spoken. In the Partido de la montaña or of Holmul is spoken the dialect of the East.

PETEN		YUCATAN
juyu	a small basin for pounding corn	huyub
majaz	fiber....?
xemech	an earthenware pan for cooking maize	xamach
ma yaan	there is none	minan
uneec	a seed	hinah
chulul	the bow for shooting and the material of which it is made.
hǒǒk	a large fish-hook
	coxti hǒǒk, we are going to fish (?)
litz	a small fish-hook	lutz, fish-hook]
	cox ti man litz, we are going to buy a fish-hook
lutz	lazy (said of an animal)
holé	yesterday	holhe
meyah	to work	manyah
ten in Ɔah hunpel tomin ti a Juan	I give John a real	ten in Ɔaic hunpel tomin ti Juan
ten cin hanal	I eat	hanal in cah
chumac	wild-cat	chamac
Ɔüt	a long sack of palm leaves or of broom-plant fiber	naza
Ɔit	very small tamales.
yaax apat	royal palm
ichcil or ichnil	to bathe
in thǎ	my forehead	in lec
pichi	guava (?)	pachi
chuh	calabash of water (this line is crossed out in the text)
nah	house; holnah, door; bah, mole (?)	na-holna-ba
pah	chicken louse; leh, snare	pa- te-
tuh	stinking, obscene	tu
uh	the moon	u
coh	a tooth	co
cih	henequen	qi
beh	a road, a path	be
ya in tzem	I am in doubt (?)	ya in tzem
tacté	a pine tree	tahte
(Several illegible words occur here)
nak xaan ....
Ɔu or chichan Ɔu	small unweaned child	chuchul paal
in nochil	my child (used by the Lacandones)
tanché	a beam	tanche
puluoc	a small dove.
(xamoch) pok	a wall	pak
ahmenché	a carpenter	ahmentahche
taman	a sheep, they also say tomo	tanam
top	any flower	nicte, lol
taz la top e	he is bringing a flower	talez nicte
cox ti meyaj	we are going to work	cox ti menyah
bax le lo? or bax la je lo?	who is that?
max cutal?	who is coming?
xen a thone a Juan	go and call John
u tat ix Maria	the father of Mary.
baai	a bag made of netting; also called champa.
yampaj	(illegible)
ma t'in patal	I cannot
ma in uojel	I do not know
uai	arm (almost illegible)
bax u caa or bax u cuci	why or because
bax tal?	why?
cox ti pakach or cox ti pekech	we are going to make tortillas (tortillar)
tux yankin?	where is the sun?	tabx yax kin
tux ca bin?	where are you going?	tab a benel (t)
jamach a katic?	how much do you want? what do you ask?
jamach nah yan tech?	how many tortillas have you?
jamach uinic tan ilah ti be?	how many men have you seen on the road?	bahun uinicol t an ilab ti be?
(One illegible phrase here)
bix le lo?	how is that?
bix yanil ech?	how are you?	bicx a cah?
bax a kati?	what do you want?
bax akaba?	what is your name?
max u thinic en?	who is calling me?
max ɔin Ɔic tü?	to whom am I to give it?
mayan ja	there is no water	manaan ja, minan ja
xturuhui	yellow (or jaundice; text says amarillo)
nicté	white
chacnicté	red
quǐj	henequen	yaxci
kaim	milk	kabim
yǎ	a small sapote (?)	zaya
ten cin bin ich cah	I am going into the village
kayem	gruel made of corn flour	keyem
iz Ɔit	a small tamale made with new corn
culen	sit down (imperative)	culen, sit down! cultal, to sit down
liken	get up (imperative)	likil, to get up
(Several illegible words follow)
thuth	I weep (perhaps it means dark brown--loro)
(Several more illegible words)
sac	fear	zahaal, fear
sac en	I am afraid, I fear	zahal, to fear
saccep	timorous	ahzahet, timorous
mac	people	uinic
bizit	that part of an animal... (illegible) ... which is composed of the lower part of the spine.
cǒǒb	(meaning illegible)	coc
paklam	prickly pear (?) (Text has stapal y tuna)	pakam
kuchune	the whorl (jicarita) which they use for spinning.
cucut	a mountain fruit ... (illegible) ... like a small plaintain.
kat or kot	flat earthen bowl set before an idol	cat
(An illegible word)
chim	a knapsack (mochila).
zuzich	to cut off the grains from a cooked ear of corn; and also the grains thuscut off	zuz, to plane
chaac	let it go! (sueltalo)
chaac la tzimine	set the horse free! (suelta el caballo)
bot	hail	bat
punab	mahogany (caobana)
hach nohoch punab	how big the mahogany tree is!
chulul	the bow for shooting.
tzaan	the cord of the bow
teztan	the bow used in the reverse (with the cord on the convex side) (?)
cec che	an arrow with a tooth or jog.
pocté	an arrow with a point of clay.
yaxapat	the royal palm (from the Lacandones?)
thahaan	the muscular part of the thumb.
Ɔunum	a bird.
Ɔununté	laurel, a mountain bush.
hubuché	a mountain bush; the leaves ... (illegible).
tanai	a species of cane or bamboo ... very large.
tuƆ	(meaning illegible)
jōǒle	yesterday	holhe
zamal	tomorrow.
cui	(meaning illegible).
chepetz	bread of new maize.
uokekuch	a stick used in weaving.
(Several illegible and obscurely translated words)
Phrases. (Only those with meanings given in the text appear here)
Bax a kati?	What do you want mix baal in kati.... I want nothing
Bax yan tech?	What have you? What is the matter? Yab ten ya ti paczikal.... I have a stomach-ache
Bax cu tazic ah Pedro?	What is Peter bringing? Talez ha.... He is bringing water
Bax caualic?	What are you saying?
In some cases two forms for the same thing appear, as:
yaax apat and yaxapat	royal palm
cih and quǐ	henequen
holé and jōǒle	yesterday
beh and be	road

[APPENDIX III]

THE MAPS OF YUCATAN, 1501-1800

While I was at work on the main body of this book my attention was drawn to the question of cartography by Dr. Edward Luther Stevenson of New York. I decided that it would be worth while to try and compile a list of all the early maps of Yucatan. It would be folly for me to claim that the list I give here is complete; it is, however, at least as complete as any such list now existing. No attempt has been made to list all the modern maps of the area; neither has there been any attempt to include maps of limited portions of the peninsula. A selection from the immense amount of material given by Pedro Torres Lanzas has, however, been made, and the notes made by Dr. Tozzer in Seville are appended.

THE MAPS OF YUCATAN ARRANGED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

1502 ?	PORTUGUESE. Valentini (1898, 1902) refers to this map as being dated either in 1493 or 1502. There is little doubt that this map is misdated for the following reasons: 1. The information contained in the map is so full that it cannot have been earlier than 1520. 2. The nomenclature is mainly "sailor names" and therefore inconclusive. 3. The alleged Yucatan runs from its nearest point to Cuba northwardly, not southwardly. It is my belief that the peninsula in question is meant for Florida, and that it is too far west. 4. The whole style of the map is comparable to that of the following well-known ones: Turin-Spanish, 1523-25; Wolfenbüttel-Spanish, 1525-30; Maggiolo, 1527; Verrazano, 1529; Weimar-Spanish, 1527. It is for more full and accurate than Maggiolo, 1519. Therefore it cannot date from before 1520, and probably not from before 1525.
ca. 1501-02	RICHARD KING PORTOLAN (Hamy Coll.). Has Cuba and other West Indies, also eastern portions of South America, neither Mexico nor Yucatan.
1502-04	CANTINO (Stevenson, 1903). Has Cuba, etc. No Mexico and Yucatan.
1507	WALDSEEMÜLLER. America first so called. Its presence is indicated, but its shape is not defined. Florida, Cuba, and Brazil appear; Mexico and Yucatan do not.
1508	PTOLEMY, ED. RUYSCH, ROME (Nord. XXXII).[A3.1] America shown as a vague archipelago in the Pacific. It is not named.
1512	PTOLEMY, ED. JOANNES DE STOBINICZA, Cracow (Nord.). America indicated but not named.
1514	LODOVICUS BOULENGER (Nord.) America shown by name and called "Nova reperta."
1515	GREGORIUS REISCH, STRASSBURG (Nord.). No Yucatan.
1516	WALDSEEMÜLLER. See 1507.
1516-20	MUNICH-PORTUGUESE. Has no Yucatan.
1519	MAGGIOLO. See 1527.
1520	PETRUS APIANUS (Nord.). Has no Yucatan.
1523-25	TURIN-SPANISH (E. L. S.).[A3.2] The general outline of Yucatan is recognizable. There is a gap on the south of Yucatan where the isthmus should be. All the names save Cozumel are wrong.
1527	MAGGIOLO (E. L. S.). The shape of Yucatan is all wrong, and Yucatan is shown as a rather small island far from the mainland. No names.
1527	WEIMAR-SPANISH (E. L. S.). Yucatan a peninsula. Isthmus is roughly drawn and too narrow, "gotoche" (Catoche), "y. demuJeres" (Isla de Mujeres), and "cocumel" (Cozumel), etc. At the isthmus is a name which possibly may be Ytza; it is very indistinct.
1528 ?	BENEDETTO BORDONE, VINEGIA (Nord.). Has no Yucatan.
1529	RIBERO (E. L. S.). Has Yucatan as a large island near to the mainland, with Hihueras (Higueras = Honduras) correctly located.
1529	VERRAZANO (E. L. S.). Has the general outlines of Yucatan approximately correct, but there is a large gap at the southern part.
1525-30	WOLFENBÜTTEL-SPANISH (E. L. S.). Yucatan a large island very close to the mainland. Cf. Ribero, 1529.
1530	VERRAZANO'S GLOBE. Shows Yucatan as an island.
1530 ?	ANONYMOUS CARTA DE LAS ANTILLAS, SENO MEJICANO Y COSTAS DE TIERRA FIRMA. CARTAS DE INDIAS 1877. Yucatan is shown as a peninsula. Merida does not appear. Campeche is written "Campeci," and Mexico "Mesico." It seems to be a map of the same period as the Weimar-Spanish, 1527.
1531	ORONTIUS FINÆBUS (Nord.). Yucatan (called Iucatanus) shown as an island.
1532	SIM. GRYNÆUS NOVUS ORBIS, BASILEÆ (Nord.). Cuba and America confused. Yucatan not named, but indicated as a part of Cuba, which lies where Mexico should. There is a break in the isthmus.
1534 ?	MALARTIC PORTOLAN. Has Yucatan as an island far from mainland with a dense archipelago instead of an isthmus.
1534	PETRUS MARTYR, VINEGIA (Nord.). Yucatan an island with dense archipelago in lieu of isthmus.
1536	MERCATOR. Yucatan a peninsula.
1538	GERARDUS MERCATOR (Nord.). Yucatan named and an island.
1539 ?	PORTULAN OF CHARLES V, IN WIENER, 1875. Has Yucatan a round island a good way from mainland on three different maps.
1540	PTOLEMY, BASEL (Nord.). Yucatan shown as an island.
1542	ALONSO DE SANTA CRUZ, IN DAHLGREN, 1892. Shows Yucatan as a peninsula, but makes east coast run nearly east and west.
1543	CASPAR VOPEL (Nord.). Yucatan shown as an island.
1548	PTOLEMY, VENICE (Nord.). Yucatan shown as an island, not named.
1551	APPIANUS. Has Yucatan as a peninsula.
1554	GASTALDI, MAPPAMUNDI, VENICE (Müller Coll.). Has Yucatan a peninsula, but has no names save Cozumel and Catoche.
1556	HIERONIMO GIRAVA, MILAN (Nord.). Yucatan is a peninsula, but much too small.
1560	FERRANDO BERTELI (Müller Coll.). Yucatan (called Luc[=a]tan) is an island close to the mainland.
1562	MARTINES, JOAN, MAP OF THE WORLD (in Stevenson, 1911). Yucatan is shown as a peninsula. The isthmus is too narrow.
1566 ?	LANDA (see Plate IV). This map, notwithstanding its inaccuracies, is interesting and valuable. It appears in the original MS. of Bishop Landa's famous work. The remarks as to distances, in the southwest corner, are, of course, entirely erroneous. Also it should be noted that Cozumel (i.e., Cuzmil) and Las Mujeres are placed on the wrong side of the peninsula. One of the most interesting points about the map is that it gives Mani as "The city of the King." This is undoubtedly a reference to the Tutul Xius whom we have mentioned in the body of this book.
1566 ?	LANDA (see Plate V). This smaller map is much like the foregoing one. But it fails to include such place names as Ychpa, Chicheniza, Mani, and so on. At the same time a slight improvement is to be noted in the location of Cozumel, though one is at a loss to account for the placing of Cape Catoch.[A3.3]
1570	ORTELIUS, THEATRUM ORBIS TERRARUM. Shows Yucatan as a peninsula; calls Merida Atalaria, Cozumel Acasumal, etc.
1572	THOMASO PORCACCHI DA CASTIGLIONE, VENICE. Has Yucatan as a peninsula.
1576	ANOTHER EDITION OF PORCCACHI DA CASTIGLIONE.
1581	PLANO DEL PUEBLO DE MUTUL, EN LA PROVINCIA DE YUCATAN, TERMINOS DE LA CIUDAD DE MERIDA. POR MARTIN DE PALOMAR? TORRES LANZAS, i, 33. This map accompanies the Relaciones de la Provincia de Yucatan. Published by the Real Academia de Historia in 1898.
1584	ANOTHER EDITION OF ORTELIUS.
1587	MERCATOR (Nord.). Yucatan a peninsula named either Atalanta or Atalania (print indistinct).
1590	JOANNES MYRITIUS, OPUSCULUM GEOGRAPHICUM RARUM, INGOLDSTADT (Nord.). Yucatan not named. There is a projecting territory which, because of a large bay running in from the north, looks not unlike a U. Possibly the bay is the Laguna de Terminos shown too large.
1603	GULIELMUS NICOLAI BELGA, GLOBE, Lyons (Müller Coll.). Yucatan an island far from the mainland. Cozumel much too large and close to western end of Cuba.
1605	WILLEM JANSZOON BLAEU, WORLD MAP (original in Hispanic Museum, New York City). Yucatan shown as a peninsula. Tabasco appears in the middle of the isthmus.
1608	MATTHIAS QUADUS, FASCICULUS GEOGRAPHICUS, KÖLN (Nord.). Hispania Nova. Yucatan a peninsula, but not named.
1611	HONDIUS WORLD-MAP (E. S. L.). General shape of Yucatan approximately correct. Tabasco is shown in the middle of the isthmus. Atalana in northeast corner of Yucatan.
1613	MERCATOR, ED. IUDOCI HONDIJ, AMSTERDAM. Yucatan a peninsula.
1620	ANOTHER EDITION OF PORCACCHI DA CASTIGLIONE.
1631	JOHN SPEED (London ?). Yucatan shown as a peninsula.
1635	WILLEM JANSZOON BLAEU, AMSTERDAM (E. L. S.). Yucatan shown as a peninsula.
1638	Another edition of MERCATOR.
1656	MEXIQUE OU NOUVELLE ESPAGNE, PAR M. SANSON D'ABBEVILLE, PARIS. Shows Merida and Valladolid with the YZUES between them, and with the COCOMES between Valladolid and L. Bacalar. Southern portions of Yucatan very poorly shown.
1667	BLAAUW, AMSTERDAM, YUCATAN AND GUATIMALA. A very good map for the time. It shows accurately what were then thought to be the facts. Merida, Conil, Chuaca, Valladolid, Campeche, Bacalar, and Chetumal all nearly correctly placed. Just south of Merida are the YZAES and just south of them the COCOMES. The isthmus is too elongated and runs too much east and west. The Zoques given.
1671	ARNOLDUS MONTANUS, AMSTERDAM. A shameless "steal" from the preceding. (Montanus may, however, make acknowledgment in his text.) Practically identical with Blaauw, 1667.
1689	EDWARD WELLES, LONDON. Has Merida, Valladolid, Campeachy, and Vera Pax. Abo Guatimala.
1694	JAILLOT'S MAP IN ALLARD'S ATLAS MINOR. Has Merida, Valladolid, Campeche, Chetumal, Salamanca, Vera Pax, etc.
ca. 1697	AVENDAÑO'S MAP. (See Plates Ia and Ib.) Shows Lake Peten.
1702	ATLAS MARITIMUS NOVUS, LONDON. Has coasts only. Fairly correct.
1714 or just before	POPPLE, LONDON. Has Merida and LAKE PETEN rightly placed.
1720	MATTEO SEUTTER, ATLAS NOVUS, AUGSBURG. Very poor. Gives few names. Southern portion of Yucatan much too narrow. No lake.
1722	PLANO DE PARTE DE LA COSTA DR YUCATHAN ... LA QUE VISITÓ SU GOBERNADOR Y CAPITAN GENERAL D. ANTONIO CORTAYRE, AÑO 1721. TORRES LANZAS, i. 88. Coast with Merida in south, Cacalchen Tilam in east. Sisal in west; shows possible defense of the roads. Drawn with care as to the details; colored; trees near coast.
1728	ATLAS MARITIMUS ET COMMERCIALIS, LONDON. Has "Jucatan" and Campeche, but not much else.
1739	PIERRE VANDER AA, LEYDEN. Copied exactly from Blaauw, 1667, and Montanus, 1671. The Choles appear in addition to the Zoques (who are on the other two maps). Latitude and longitude have also been added.[A3.4]
1740	MIGUEL DE GUZMAN, PICTURE MAP OF PETEN, IN TORRES LANZAS.(See Plate II.)
1740	ATLAS NOUVEAU, BY JEAN COVENS ET CORNEILLE MORTIER (Boston Athenaeum). Map of Yucatan by Popple, in colors. Has, among other places, Sisal, Quyo, Merida, Valladolid, Lago de Bacalal, Thub, Salamanca, Chuckabul, PETEN LAKE, with LAGU-ASTAL on the southern bank, Verapax, etc. Lake too far east. Cf. Popple, 1714.
1740	OTTENS, ATLAS NOUVEAU, AMSTERDAM (vol. iv.). Has the Yzues between Merida and Valladolid, and the Cocomes south of them. Cf. 1656, 1667, 1671.
1746	HAZIUS AND LOWITZ, ATLAS (Harvard College Library). Has a very good map of Yucatan which shows in full the results to geography of the conquest of the Itza-Peten-Quehache region in 1697. The map shows, among other places, the following: Merida, Linchanchi, Sisal, Cujo, Bocas de Conil, Valladolid, Bacalar, Campeche, CHAVICH, QUEHACHES, TIPU, BATCAB, CHANES, ITZA, PETEN o LOS REMEDIOS, CHAXAL RIVER, MOPAN, Chol, Coban, etc. LACANDON and LOS DOLORES are located northwest of the lake.
1746	PLANO Y DEMARCACÓN DEL CAMINO Y DISTANCIA DESDE LA CIUDAD DE MERIDA DE YUCATAN HASTA LA LAGUNA DE BACALAR ... DESDE EL PUEBLO DE CHUNHUHUB A LA LAGUNA AY 35 LEGUAS DE DESPOBLADO ... AÑO 1746. TORRES LANZAS, i, 114. Shows all the towns on the road from Merida to Bacalar.
1746	PLANO DEL RIO HONDO QUE SE COMUNICA CON LA LAGUNA DE BACALAR.... TORRES LANZAS, i. 115. Little detail.
1751 ?	PLANO DE LOS TRES RIOS DE BALIZ NUEVO Y HONDO CITUADOS ENTRE EL GOLFO DULCE O PROVINCIA DE GOATEMALA, Y LA DE YUCATAN.... LA CITUACION DEL REAL PRESIDIO DE SAN PHELIPE DE BACALAR, EL CAMINO QUE DE EL VA A LA CAPITAL DE MERIDA, LA LAGUNA DEL PETEN ITZA.... TORRES LANZAS, i, 143. Drawn with great detail, especially as regards coast line and islands. Northern portion of coast of Guatemala west to Peten, north to Bacalar. This is the road treated of by Villagutierre, Cogolludo, and Avendaño.
1764	JAQUES NICOLAS BELLIN, PARIS? (Cong. Lib.). The northern portions of Yucatan need no comment. In the south we find: Quehaches, Chenes, Batcab, Nohukum R., Tipu, Coboxes, Lac de Puc, Chaltuna, Alain, ITZA, Mopanes, Choles, etc. The lake is too far east.
1771	CARTE DU MEXIQUE, MR. BONNE M. DE MATHEM, PARIS (Harvard College Library). Gives Merida, Valladolid, Campeche, Sacahuchen (= Sahcabchen?), Tikax, Bacalar, Tzuthok, Salamanca, Sumasinta, TAVASAL, etc.
1773	ATLAS PORTATIF, BELLIN, AMSTERDAM (Harvard College Library). Much like Bellin, 1764.
1779	ABBÉ MONGEZ, ATLAS, PARIS (vol. ii). Map of Yucatan has Merida, Valladolid (wrongly placed), Salamanca de Bacalar (wrongly placed), Quehaches, L. DE PUC with IGUASTAL in it.
1783	BRION DE LA TOUR, L'AMERIQUE SEPTENTRIONALE, PARIS (Cong. Lib.).Much like Bellin, 1764.
1785	GUTHRIE, LONDON. Lake is too far east and is not named.
1801[A3.5]	TOMAS LOPEZ, MADRID, MAP OF YUCATAN IN 4 SHEETS (Cong. Lib.). A large and valuable map which contains many names, routes, lakes, rivers, etc. The distances and outlines of the land masses are inaccurate. There is a list of the Curatos and Visitas of Yucatan.
1854	DUDLEY COSTELLO, MAP OF YUCATAN, IN FANCOURT, 1854, and MACNUTT, 1908. A clear and useful map with a few minor mistakes.
1864	V. A. MALTE-BRUN, CARTE DU YUCATAN, PARIS. A reliable and invaluable modern map with many place names, routes, etc.
1878	MAPA ... DE YUCATAN, FOR JOAQUIN HÜBBE, ANDRÉS AZNAR PEREZ Y ... C. HERMANN BERENDT. The best and largest and fullest map of Yucatan.
1902	GUATEMALA, BY M. HENDGES, BUREAU OF AMERICAN REPUBLICS, 1902. The best map of Guatemala. It has proved very valuable.
1915	MAP OF THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO. PAN AMERICAN UNION, 1915. Also a very trustworthy map.