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The PARI Journal Vol. XIV, No. 2
ThePARIJournal A quarterly publication of the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute Volume XIV, No. 2, Fall 2013 Mesoamerican Lexical Calques in Ancient Maya Writing and Imagery In This Issue: CHRISTOPHE HELMKE University of Copenhagen Mesoamerican Lexical Calques Introduction ancient cultural interactions which might otherwise go undetected. in Ancient Maya The process of calquing is a fascinating What follows is a preliminary treat- Writing and Imagery aspect of linguistics since it attests to ment of a small sample of Mesoamerican contacts between differing languages by lexical calques as attested in the glyphic and manifests itself in a variety of guises. Christophe Helmke corpus of the ancient Maya. The present Calquing involves loaning or transferring PAGES 1-15 treatment is not intended to be exhaus- items of vocabulary and even phonetic tive; instead it provides an insight into • and syntactic traits from one language 1 the types, antiquity, and longevity of to another. Here I would like to explore The Further Mesoamerican calques in the hopes that lexical calques, which is to say the loaning Adventures of Merle this foray may stimulate additional and of vocabulary items, not as loanwords, (continued) more in-depth treatment in the future. but by means of translating their mean- by ing from one language to another. In this Merle Greene sense calques can be thought of as “loan Calques in Mesoamerica Robertson translations,” in which only the semantic Lexical calques have occupied a privileged PAGES 16-20 dimension is borrowed. Calques, unlike place in the definition of Mesoamerica as a loanwords, are not liable to direct phono- linguistic area (Campbell et al. -
The Moche Lima Beans Recording System, Revisited
THE MOCHE LIMA BEANS RECORDING SYSTEM, REVISITED Tomi S. Melka Abstract: One matter that has raised sufficient uncertainties among scholars in the study of the Old Moche culture is a system that comprises patterned Lima beans. The marked beans, plus various associated effigies, appear painted by and large with a mixture of realism and symbolism on the surface of ceramic bottles and jugs, with many of them showing an unparalleled artistry in the great area of the South American subcontinent. A range of accounts has been offered as to what the real meaning of these items is: starting from a recrea- tional and/or a gambling game, to a divination scheme, to amulets, to an appli- cation for determining the length and order of funerary rites, to a device close to an accountancy and data storage medium, ending up with an ‘ideographic’, or even a ‘pre-alphabetic’ system. The investigation brings together structural, iconographic and cultural as- pects, and indicates that we might be dealing with an original form of mnemo- technology, contrived to solve the problems of medium and long-distance com- munication among the once thriving Moche principalities. Likewise, by review- ing the literature, by searching for new material, and exploring the structure and combinatory properties of the marked Lima beans, as well as by placing emphasis on joint scholarly efforts, may enhance the studies. Key words: ceramic vessels, communicative system, data storage and trans- mission, fine-line drawings, iconography, ‘messengers’, painted/incised Lima beans, patterns, pre-Inca Moche culture, ‘ritual runners’, tokens “Como resultado de la falta de testimonios claros, todas las explicaciones sobre este asunto parecen in- útiles; divierten a la curiosidad sin satisfacer a la razón.” [Due to a lack of clear evidence, all explana- tions on this issue would seem useless; they enter- tain the curiosity without satisfying the reason] von Hagen (1966: 157). -
The Gentics of Civilization: an Empirical Classification of Civilizations Based on Writing Systems
Comparative Civilizations Review Volume 49 Number 49 Fall 2003 Article 3 10-1-2003 The Gentics of Civilization: An Empirical Classification of Civilizations Based on Writing Systems Bosworth, Andrew Bosworth Universidad Jose Vasconcelos, Oaxaca, Mexico Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr Recommended Citation Bosworth, Bosworth, Andrew (2003) "The Gentics of Civilization: An Empirical Classification of Civilizations Based on Writing Systems," Comparative Civilizations Review: Vol. 49 : No. 49 , Article 3. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr/vol49/iss49/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Comparative Civilizations Review by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Bosworth: The Gentics of Civilization: An Empirical Classification of Civil 9 THE GENETICS OF CIVILIZATION: AN EMPIRICAL CLASSIFICATION OF CIVILIZATIONS BASED ON WRITING SYSTEMS ANDREW BOSWORTH UNIVERSIDAD JOSE VASCONCELOS OAXACA, MEXICO Part I: Cultural DNA Introduction Writing is the DNA of civilization. Writing permits for the organi- zation of large populations, professional armies, and the passing of complex information across generations. Just as DNA transmits biolog- ical memory, so does writing transmit cultural memory. DNA and writ- ing project information into the future and contain, in their physical structure, imprinted knowledge. -
Rao Et Al., 2009A; Rao, 2010) Or Lee and Colleagues (Lee Et Al., 2010A) Works
Corpora and Statistical Analysis of Non-Linguistic Symbol Systems Richard Sproat January 21, 2013 Abstract We report on the creation and analysis of a set of corpora of non-linguistic symbol systems. The resource, the first of its kind, consists of data from seven systems, both ancient and modern, with two further systems under development, and several others planned. The systems represent a range of types, including heraldic systems, formal systems, and systems that are mostly or purely decorative. We also compare these systems statistically with a large set of linguistic systems, which also range over both time and type. We show that none of the measures proposed in published work by Rao and colleagues (Rao et al., 2009a; Rao, 2010) or Lee and colleagues (Lee et al., 2010a) works. In particular, Rao’s entropic measures are evidently useless when one considers a wider range of examples of real non-linguistic symbol systems. And Lee’s measures, with the cutoff values they propose, misclassify nearly all of our non-linguistic systems. However, we also show that one of Lee’s measures, with different cutoff values, as well as another measure we develop here, do seem useful. We further demonstrate that they are useful largely because they are both highly correlated with a rather trivial feature: mean text length. ⃝c 2012–2013, Richard Sproat 1 1 Introduction Humans have been using symbols for many millenia to represent many different kinds of information. In some cases a single symbol represents a single concept, and is not part of any larger symbol system: an example is the red, blue and white helical symbol for a barber shop. -
A STUDY of WRITING Oi.Uchicago.Edu Oi.Uchicago.Edu /MAAM^MA
oi.uchicago.edu A STUDY OF WRITING oi.uchicago.edu oi.uchicago.edu /MAAM^MA. A STUDY OF "*?• ,fii WRITING REVISED EDITION I. J. GELB Phoenix Books THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS oi.uchicago.edu This book is also available in a clothbound edition from THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS TO THE MOKSTADS THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS, CHICAGO & LONDON The University of Toronto Press, Toronto 5, Canada Copyright 1952 in the International Copyright Union. All rights reserved. Published 1952. Second Edition 1963. First Phoenix Impression 1963. Printed in the United States of America oi.uchicago.edu PREFACE HE book contains twelve chapters, but it can be broken up structurally into five parts. First, the place of writing among the various systems of human inter communication is discussed. This is followed by four Tchapters devoted to the descriptive and comparative treatment of the various types of writing in the world. The sixth chapter deals with the evolution of writing from the earliest stages of picture writing to a full alphabet. The next four chapters deal with general problems, such as the future of writing and the relationship of writing to speech, art, and religion. Of the two final chapters, one contains the first attempt to establish a full terminology of writing, the other an extensive bibliography. The aim of this study is to lay a foundation for a new science of writing which might be called grammatology. While the general histories of writing treat individual writings mainly from a descriptive-historical point of view, the new science attempts to establish general principles governing the use and evolution of writing on a comparative-typological basis. -
Yucatan's Interpreters in Unconquered Lands, 1600-1697
11 Mediating at the Margins: Yucatan’s Interpreters in Unconquered Lands, 1600-1697 ❧ Mark W. Lentz Utah Valley University, United States https://doi.org/10.7440/histcrit80.2021.02 Received: October 1, 2020 / Accepted: January 12, 2021 / Modified: February 24, 2021 How to cite: Lentz, Mark W. “Mediating at the Margins: Yucatan’s Interpreters in Unconquered Lands, 1600-1697.” Historia Crítica, n.° 80 (2021): 11-33, doi: https://doi.org/10.7440/histcrit80.2021.02 Abstract. Objective/Context: This article emphasizes the distinct duties of interpreters general, primarily working in legal matters, and mediators at the margins of colonial control. The widespread flight of Mayas seeking relief shifted the linguistic map of the interior, requiring speakers of multiple languages rather than the service of interpreters general who resided in Yucatan. Methodology: Research in the Archivo General de Indias and published primary sources show that mediation with migratory Mayas avoiding colonial rule required polyglot indigenous interpreters who moderated encounters between friars and neo-conquistadors, on the one hand, and resistant Mayas, on the other, in Yucatan’s interior, even as the holders of the office of interpreter general— the primary legal translators—were overwhelmingly European-descent creoles. Originality: This article seeks to add depth to our current understanding of the role of translators during the often overlooked seventeenth century. Conclusions: Official translators—interpreters generals whose duties were increasingly circumscribed as court functionaries—diverged from mediators in unconquered terrains whose knowledge of diverse indigenous languages, cultural broker abilities, and similar backgrounds made them ideal intermediaries with resistant Mayas. Keywords: interpreters, migration, multilingualism, translation, Yucatan, Yucatec Maya. -
The Cult of the Book. What Precolumbian Writing Contributes to Philology
10.3726/78000_29 The Cult of the Book. What Precolumbian Writing Contributes to Philology Markus Eberl Vanderbilt University, Nashville Abstract Precolumbian people developed writing independently from the Old World. In Mesoamerica, writing existed among the Olmecs, the Zapotecs, the Maya, the Mixtecs, the Aztecs, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and at Teotihuacan. In South America, the knotted strings or khipus were used. Since their decipherment is still ongoing, Precolumbian writing systems have often been studied only from an epigraphic perspective and in isolation. I argue that they hold considerable interest for philology because they complement the latter’s focus on Western writing. I outline the eight best-known Precolumbian writing systems and de- scribe their diversity in form, style, and content. These writing systems conceptualize writing and written communication in different ways and contribute new perspectives to the study of ancient texts and languages. Keywords Precolumbian writing, decipherment, defining writing, authoritative discourses, canon Introduction Written historical sources form the basis for philology. Traditionally these come from the Western world, especially ancient Greece and Rome. Few classically trained scholars are aware of the ancient writing systems in the Americas and the recent advances in deciphering them. In Mesoamerica – the area of south-central Mexico and western Central America – various societies had writing (Figure 1). This included the Olmecs, the Zapotecs, the people of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the Maya, Teotihuacan, Mix- tecs, and the Aztecs. In South America, the Inka used knotted strings or khipus (Figure 2). At least eight writing systems are attested. They differ in language, formal structure, and content. -
Sociedad Española De Estudios Mayas
sociedad española de estudios mayas N.o 20 AÑO 2008 Jeroglíficos y arqueología maya: ¿colusión o colisión? ARLEN F. CHASE Y DIANE Z. CHASE University of Central Florida RAFAEL COBOS Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán RESUMEN tations derived from archaeology and epigraphy by analyzing a variety of sites and data sets. Through re- Tanto la historia como la arqueología han propor- examining these interpretive relationships, broader is- cionado información sobre el pasado maya. Los perso- sues related to the conjunction of Maya history and ar- najes históricos, sin embargo, captan la imaginación chaeology are addressed. mucho más que las construcciones arquitectónicas o los fragmentos de cerámica. Así, el registro jeroglífico Key words: Maya, epigraphy, conjunctive approach, maya domina con frecuencia las interpretaciones acer- archaeological interpretation ca del periodo Clásico maya. Recientes investigaciones y publicaciones han cuestionado la tradicional recons- trucción de la historia jeroglífica como reflejo de dinas- INTRODUCCIÓN tías con reyes y reinas, resucitando un escenario más antiguo de «sacerdotes del tiempo» que relegaría los En la etapa actual de la investigación sobre el área textos e imágenes en los monumentos a una pequeña maya, se hace necesaria una re-evaluación de las re- porción del pasado maya. Este artículo trata tanto de re- laciones entre arqueología y epigrafía. De manera considerar como de contextualizar mejor las interpre- ideal, debería existir una relación de realimentación taciones derivadas de la arqueología y la epigrafía, ana- entre ambas disciplinas, pero en los últimos años la lizando una serie de sitios y de conjunto de datos. Un epigrafía se ha convertido en el motor de todas las nuevo examen de estas relaciones interpretativas, per- cosas relacionadas con los mayas —en buena medi- mitirá abordar objetivos más amplios relacionados con da debido a la larga historia del desciframiento y al la conjunción la historia y la arqueología maya. -
Ways of Communicating Ideas 2 3 Table of Contents
WAYS OF COMMUNICATING IDEAS 2 3 Table of Contents Cuneiform Family 07 Hieroglyphic Family 13 Eastern Family 23 Arabic Family 37 Indian Family 47 American Family 55 Nordic Family 61 Roman Family 69 Miscellaneous 85 4 5 Cuneiform Family CHAPTER 1 Cuneiform 6 7 Tablet consisting of partial print of the ancient Sumerian Legend of Etana. (1900-1600 Sumerian BC) About 3000 B.C the Sumerians invented a system of writing called Cuneiform. Cuneiform (from the Latin word meaning “wedged- shaped”) was developed from pictographs which later developed into ideographs that conveyed abstracted ideas. The sumerians wrote for left to right and from top to bottom. Cuneiform contains 560 characters which made up the general and only script used. Cuneiform 8 9 Cylinder Seals The seals were first used in Mesopotamia, late 4th century B.C. and spread to Babylonia, Egypt, and western Asia. The seals originally used pictographs, but eventually incorporated letter forms. The original seals were made of shell or lapis lazuli and later Hematite. What was carved into the seals also changed over time. The first were covered with images of how the society was developing (chariots were used). Later on, the images changed to myths and dieties. Text from the Ethnic Studies Library, University of California, Berkeley Cylinder seals were small (2 to 6cm) cylinder-shaped stones carved with decorative designs. They were used as a way for individuals to “sign” their names. The cylinder would simply be rolled over the clay, leaving a raised image behind. The seals were mainly used by royalty and officials as a way to sign documents, such as letter, deeds and records. -
Grammatological Studies Writing and Its Relation to Speech
RUUL Reports from Uppsala University Linguistics #29 — 1996 (digital format 2019 with minor corrections) John Sören Pettersson Grammatological Studies Writing and its Relation to Speech Dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics at Uppsala University 1996 ABSTRACT Petterson, J. S. I 996. Grammatological Studies: Writing and its Relation to Speech. Reports from Uppsala University, Department of Linguistics RUUL #29. 228 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91-506-1170-4. This work addresses the problem of how writing is related to speech and how our notions of language are related to writing principles such as ‘the alphabetic principle’. The target of the study is the concept of ‘phonography’ (sound-writing, sometimes called ‘glottography’). This has been used in several theoretical works on writing, often with the assumption that the existence of phonographic systems somehow proves that the purpose of writing is to represent speech. From a functional approach, that is, from a theoretical base where language (of whatever modality) is seen as crucially dependent on actual communicative events, the notion that writing is representational in nature is criticised. Three areas are investigated: 1. the origin of the phono+graphic type of writing (also treated are the origin of spoken language and the medium-dependency of language); 2. the relation between alphabetic writing and notions concerning the structure of language in general and of particular languages; 3. the relationship between phonographic methods of reading old scripts and the prevailing phonocentrism. In all three areas it is found that the possibility of indicating pronunciation of written texts by phonographic means has been overinterpretated in favour of the prevalent representational view. -
Tiempo Histórico Y Tiempo Mítico Entre Los Mayas Del Periodo Clásico (Ss
Tiempo histórico y tiempo mítico entre los mayas del Periodo Clásico (ss. ii~x d.C.) ALFONSO LACADENA GARCÍA-GALLO Instituto de Filología. CSIC. Madrid RESUMEN La utilización y desarrollo de un sistema calendárico sumamente preciso permitió a los mayas del Periodo Clásico de esta civilización mesoamericana (siglos ii-x d.C.) hacer del tiempo un espacio habitable. Para ellos, el tiempo era un sendero por el que era posible ü-ansitar o bien hacia el pasado, en forma de memoria histórica consignada en textos escritos, o bien hacia el futuro, mediante predicciones y profecías. Lo que es una rareza en com paración con otras culturas arcaicas o primeras civilizaciones, la clásica de los mayas in cluía un concepto de tiempo histórico de carácter lineal, con dataciones absolutas. Pero el desciframiento de las incripciones jeroglíficas está revelando que este tiempo histórico estaba integrado con el mítico en una misma dimensión temporal —lineal y cíclica a la vez— para la actuación de los hombres y también de los dioses. Con precisión y recurrencia obsesivas, los mayas clásicos hicieron de la información calendárica la arga masa del edificio discursivo de sus textos monumentales de contenido histórico (funda mentalmente político) y religioso, a base de referencias cruzadas de acontecimientos contemporáneos, pretéritos e incluso futuros en contextos de conmemoración de aniver sarios en varios ciclos calendáricos. Palabras clave: Rueda Calendárica, Cuenta Larga, Cuenta Corta, Ciclos calendáricos, Tiempo histórico, Tiempo mítico, Aniversarios, Tiempo futuro. SUMMARY The use and development of a rather precise calendrical system enabled the Maya of the Classic Period of this Mesoamerican civilization (centuries 2"^ through 10'*' A. -
Mesoamerican Literacies: Indigenous Writing Systems and Contemporary Possibilities
Mesoamerican Literacies: Indigenous Writing Systems and Contemporary Possibilities Robert T. Jiménez Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA Patrick H. Smith University of Texas at Brownsville, USA A B S T R A C T This article presents the argument that consideration of non-European and nonalphabetic writing makes possible new understandings of literacy and, in addition, contemporary literacy forms and practices can be fully understood only by expanding our historical perspective. The field of literacy research remains largely unaware of the multimodal literacies developed and employed by Mesoamerican indigenous peoples. Instead, contemporary understandings of written language are built upon an ideological foundation that privileges writing traditions first developed in Africa and Asia. Responding to theorists’ calls for literacy researchers to integrate historical understandings with their research designs, the authors examine the relevant primary and secondary sources on Mesoamerican literacies as represented in indigenous and colonial documents. In this historical inquiry, the authors first present applicable theoretical and methodological considerations for connecting past and contemporary literacies. They then identify the ideological and philosophical bases of the Mesoamerican literacy systems and discuss what is known about how they functioned, before attempting to reconstruct some pre-Columbian literacy practices. Finally, they examine selected contemporary Mexican uses of written language as examples of continuity with past practices. The authors’ interpretation of this body of work is grounded in their disciplinary backgrounds, knowledge of the literature, and theoretical orientations, leading to an informed and evidence-based perspective. We are heirs to a body of thinking, a set of move toward a deeper understanding of literacy in gen- legacies about literacy and its imputedly vast eral.