Chapter XX: Appendix: I

THE QUESTION OF ORTHOGRAPHY

Possibly the reader has noted in these pages a tendency toward inconsistency in the matter of spelling proper names. I do not deny that I have failed to avoid such inconsistency, but at the outset, after due thought on the matter, I decided that it is most difficult to try and lay down any hard and fast rule for the spelling of the proper names used in this book. In many cases it is utterly impossible to say "This is the correct spelling of this name." To show just the nature of the sort of orthographical variations encountered in this work I give here most of the variants of the name Itza.

Itza usual modern form
Itzae Maler, 1910, p. 168
Itzaob Brasseur de Bourbourg, 1858, vol. ii, p. 13
Itzaex Villagutierre
Ytza Cogolludo and Avendano
Ytzaex Cogolludo and Avendano
Ytzalana Cogolludo and Avendano
Yiza On some church bells at Los Dolores (Morley)
Ahiza Cano
Ahizaes Cano
Taiza Cortes, Lizana, 1893, p. 120
Taitza Brinton, 1882, p. 25
Tayca Gomara, 1826, vol. ii, p. 138 ff.
Ahitzaes Jose Sanches de Leon, p. 146
Ayasal Garcia de Palacio (Gates-Bowditch photographed MS.)
Ayajal Garcia de Palacio, 1860 (Squier), p. 96
Yzues Ottens Atlas, 1740; Sanson d'Abbeville, 1656
Tavasal M. Bonne M. de Mathem, 1771
Tayasal Maler; Bellin, 1764; Charnay, etc.
Iguastal Abbe Mongez, 1779
Laguastal Popples' map, about 1740

Many of the other proper names have variations just as confusing as these.