![]() ![]() When phonetic data is provided in the emblem glyphs, their ancient pronunciation is often at best an educated guess, based on assumed pronunciation changes to modern Maya. The phonetic pronunciation of many, perhaps most, of the Maya proper names surviving in emblem glyph inscriptions is generally uncertain, and often completely unknown. Significantly, we probably have several thousand times more inscriptional information about Classic Maya (post A.D. Only a few dozen Maya personal names are attested in pre-A.D. Likewise, it seems probable that the various peoples labeled “Lamanites” by the Nephites didn’t use that name for themselves. ![]() Take, for example, the many variations for one very common ethnonym: While the Germans call themselves “Deutch,” their neighbors rather obstinately use different names: English calls them “German.” In French, “Allemand” Italian = “Tedesco” Russian = “Nemetskiy” Finnish = “Saksa” medieval Hebrew = “Ashkenaz” Lithuanian = “Vokiškai.”Ī linguist given only fragmentary data like the Maya emblem glyph ethnonyms could scarcely tell from them that all of these dramatically different and phonetically unrelated names refer to precisely the same German people. The Greeks, for example, gave Greek names to all Egyptian cities, usually with little phonetic relationship to the Egyptian original (e.g., Egyptian “iwnw” became “Heliopolis”). The ancient pronunciation of emblem glyphs undoubtedly also varied among different ancient Maya dialects would have been pronounced differently in non-Maya languages, and would have changed through time - just as happens to proper names in all languages.įurthermore, different cultures commonly have different toponyms (place names) or ethnonyms (ethnic names) for given places or peoples. ![]() Classic examples are the changing of Greek “Byzantium” to Christian “Constantinople” to Turkish “Istanbul,” and when Hebrew Jerusalem (“Yerushalayim”) becomes Latin “Aelia Capitolina” and, later, Arabic “al-Quds.” Changes in place names usually occur during times of major political or cultural upheaval - such as occurred at the end of the Book of Mormon. ![]() This explicitly occurs in the Book of Mormon when, in Ether 15:11, the Hill Ramah became the Hill Cumorah. It should also be noted that place names change through time. By contrast, thousands (or perhaps tens of thousands) of toponyms can be found in ancient Near Eastern sources from the age of the Bible. These 50-odd emblem glyphs are our only source for place names (toponyms) from Book of Mormon times. 400 (when Book of Mormon civilization ended). Perhaps half a dozen are attested before A.D. Several emblem glyphs seem to be mythical, related to divine realms or legendary places and kings. Some are logographic (purely symbolic) others have a phonetic component that allows reconstruction of partial or complete ancient pronunciation. The pronunciation of many emblem glyphs is unknown for many others it’s uncertain. Some of these cities are known from glyphs alone their precise location is uncertain. These emblem glyphs symbolize a city-state and its land, generally attached to the Maya title “ajaw” (pronounced “aha”), meaning “lord/king.” Roughly 50 Maya “emblem glyphs” can be found in Classic Maya inscriptions, although more are slowly being discovered. Editor's note: Portions of this column are revised from a blog entry by one of the authors. ![]()
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