The evidence that the Caban symbol is in some sense phonetic appears to me to be too strong to be rejected. In the first place, one of its chief elements is the corkscrew figure, which, as shown under the preceding day, appears to have _b_ as its consonant element, this sound being a prominent element of both _cib_ and _caban_. It also has been shown that it is not out of place in the woman glyph, under the supposition that this is also phonetic, as _chup_ or _chupal_ is the Maya name for woman, and the change from _b_ to _p_ is not uncommon. It is found in several places as that out of which plants are growing, as LXVII, 16, from Tro. 32b, which appears to represent some leguminous plant supported by a stake driven into the ground. It is that on which persons are sitting Indian fashion, and on which others are lying; again, it is that out of which a serpent is arising. As "earth," "ground," will furnish an entirely satisfactory explanation in all these cases, there is no apparent reason why it should not be accepted. As _cab_ has "earth" as one of its leading significations, we not only find therein a connection with the day name, but also an indication of phoneticism.
In Cort. 30a is the figure shown at LXVII, 17. The animal represented, notwithstanding the quadruped head, is conceded to be intended for the serpent. The shading around the vessel, a blotch of which is on the serpent's nose, I take for the clay or paste out of which the vessel is being formed, or to be formed. In the division immediately below is a representation of what appears to be some step in the manufacture of vessels. May this not be correctly interpreted by _kancab_, "la terra roja o amarilla," or "red clay?" Henderson gives _cancan_ as an equivalent term of _kankan_. As I have not seen a copy of the colored edition of this codex, I can not say whether this interpretation is borne out by the color of the shading. If this interpretation be correct, the serpent figure must be used symbolically or as a true rebus.
In Tro. 9*c an individual is represented lifting what is supposed to be honey or honeycomb out of a box-shape object on which is the _caban_ symbol. This symbol is presumed to indicate the contents--"honey." If this supposition be correct, then, as _cab_ is the Maya name for "honey," we have in this coincidence in sound and glyph another indication of pboneticism. Support is given to this interpretation by the fact that this is found in what is known as the "bee section," and that on the upper division of the same plate the same figure, with the _caban_ symbol upon it, is seen in the hands of an individual who holds it to a bee.