[Aztlan] Another Hitchiti/Itza Maya language connection

[Gary Daniels]

It's strange enough that the word "chiki" is used in similar ways by the
Totonac & Itza Maya of Gulf Coast Mexico and Hitchiti of Southeastern U.S.

But I've also stumbled upon another connection:

Chichen Itza means "mouth of the well of the Itza" in Itza Maya language.
Chi = mouth
Chen = well

Something similar occurs in Hitchiti:

Chi = mouth
Chahni = well

Thus in Hitchiti "chichahni" means mouth of the well.

Also, in Itza Maya adding "-ha" to the end of a word denotes "water."
Interestingly, there are quite a few rivers in Georgia with Hitchiti names
that end with "-ha" (for instance, altamaha.) I haven't been able to find
any information regarding what the "ha" suffix in Hitchiti means. Does it
also denote water?

Has there ever been a study comparing Hitchiti to languages on the gulf
coast of Mexico?

-Gary C. Daniels
Publisher, LostWorlds.org
http://www.LostWorlds.org