The opinions on this subject have been diverse and positive. Most writers have assumed that it is a Nahuatl, or pure Mexican, word; while an eminent authority, Dr. Stoll, is not less certain that it is from a radical belonging to the neighboring great stock of the Mayan dialects, and especially the Quiche, of Guatemala.[55-‡] Perhaps both these positions are erroneous, and we must look elsewhere for the true etymology of these expressions. Unquestionably they had become domesticated in both Maya and Nahuatl; but there is some reason to think they were loan-words, belonging to another, and perhaps more venerable, civilization than either of these nations could claim. To illustrate this I shall subjoin several series of words derived from the same radical which is at the basis of the word nagual, the series, three in number, being taken from the three radically diverse, though geographically contiguous, linguistic stocks, the Maya, the Zapotec and the Nahuatl. _From the Maya, of Yucatan._ _Naual_, or _nautal_, a native dance, forbidden by the missionaries. _Naatil_, talent, skill, ability. _Naat_, intelligence, wisdom. _Naatah_, to understand, to divine. _Nanaol_, to consider, to contemplate, to meditate, to commune with oneself, to enter into oneself. _Noh_, great, skillful; as _noh ahceh_, a skillful hunter. _From Maya Dialects._ QUICHE-CAKCHIQUEL. _Naual_, a witch or sorcerer. _Naualin_, to tell fortunes, to predict the future. _Qui naualin_, to sacrifice, to offer sacrifices. _Na_, to feel, to suspect, to divine, to think in one’s heart. _Nao_, to know, to be alert or expert in something. _Naol_, a skillful person, a rhetorician. _Naotizan_, to make another intelligent or astute. _Natal_, the memory. _Natub_, the soul or shadow of a man. _Noh_, the god of reason (“Genius der Vernunft,” Scherzer). _Noh_, to fecundate, to impregnate (_Popol Vuh_). TZENTAL. _X-qna_, to know. _X-qnaulai_, to know often or thoroughly (frequentative). _Naom_, wise, astute (_naom vinic_, hombre sabio). _Naoghi_, art, science. _Naoghibal_, memory. _Ghnaoghel_, a wise man. _Alaghom naom_, the Goddess of Wisdom. _From the Zapotec, of Oaxaca_. _Nana_, _gana_, _gona_, to know. _Nona_, to know thoroughly, to retain in the memory. _Nana ticha_, or _nona lii_, a wise man. _Guela nana_, or _guela nona_, wisdom, knowledge. _Hue gona_, or _ro gona_, a teacher, a master. _Na lii_, truth; _ni na lii_, that which is true. _Naciña_, or _naciina_, skill, dexterity. _Hui naa_, a medicine man, a “nagualist.” _Nahaa_, to speak pleasantly or agreeably. _Nayaa_, or _nayapi_, to speak easily or fluently. _Rigoo gona_, to sacrifice, to offer sacrifice. _Ni nana_, the understanding, the intelligence, generally.