[This article is part of the Learner's Maya Glyph Guide.]
CMGG entry for tuup

Alternative readings: TUP
Translation: ear-flare, earspool
Part of speech: Noun

Logogram spellings of tuup

              

MHD.ZRQ                    1951st

TUUP                            TUUP

 

MHD (Schele)

'Brussels' Jade Ear Ornament glyph-block #1

<u:TUUP.<u:MAM>

 

·    This is quite a rare logogram – a search in MHD on “blcodes contains ZRQ” returns only 2 hits, 1 of which (from the 'Brussels' Jade Ear Ornament) is given as an example above (plus the MHD Catalog (MHD.ZRQ) and Bonn (1951st) examples makes 3). Even though it’s not a common logogram, the iconographic origin seems clear enough – the earspool is the element on the left. (Is the scroll with protector in the top right a stylized ear?).

·    EB1.p172.pdfp177.#2: tup n. earflare (EB1 never writes long vowels).

 

Syllabogram spellings of tuup

                                                

JM.p238.#4                     MC.p22.#5                      

tu:pa                                 tu:pa                                

 

                                                                                                                                      

AT-E1168-lecture11.t0:06:01              =  MHD (Mathews) = MHD (Looper)                                  MHD (Martin)                                                  

                                                                  ALH Obsidian Ear Ornament 1 glyph-block A                   CLK Ear Ornament 1 glyph-block A              

u.<tu:pa>                                                 u.<tu:pa>                                                                                u.<tu:pa>                                                          

 

                                                              

MHD (Schele)                         MHD (Schele)                       MHD (Schele)             

PAL TI CT I8                             PAL TI CT K7                         PAL TI CT M3              

u.<tu:pa>                                 u.<tu:pa>                              u.<tu:pa>                    

 

·    JM gives the pronunciation as short tup (but JM never indicates long vowels anyway). The JM.p238.#4 and AT-E1168-lecture11.t0:06:01 examples are both probably ALH Obsidian Ear Ornament 1 glyph-block A.

·    According to the Lacadena-Wichmann rules tuup should be written tu-pi, so it is unclear why this is usually given as tuup. This is perhaps from linguistic reconstruction, based on the modern Mayan languages. There is a single, lone spelling of tu-pi è tuup in MHD, but it’s very late Classic, in CHN. And the context isn’t outstandingly obvious (to me) that the context actually refers to an earspool.

·    The full syllabogram-only spelling tu-pa is slightly more common – a search in MHD on “bllogosyll contains tu pa” and “blmaya1 contains tuup” (optionally, and “blengl contains ear ornament”) gives 9 hits (the second clause is to exclude phrases like tu paat = “at the back of”, tu pakal = “with the shield of”):

o 5 from PAL (PAL Temple of the Inscriptions).

o 1 from CLK.

o 1 from TIK.

o 2 from elsewhere.