Christenson (2007: note 225, page 101) notes, "Chouen is derived from the Yucatec Maya word chuen, meaning 'howler monkey.' In addition, aj chuen is a title meaning 'artisan' (Barrera Vásquez 1995, 110), a reading consistent with the artistic nature of these twins. Twin monkey scribes appear frequently in Classic Maya art as patrons of writing. It is also the Yucatec Maya day name that corresponds to the day B'atz' in the Quiché calendar."
Según informa Sam Colop (2011: nota 55, página 210), "Chimalmat es palabra k'iche'; chi es preposición y malmatik es verbo que indica correr detrás de algo. D. Tedlock (1996: 241) asocia a Chimalmat con la 'Osa Menor', lo cual concuerca con su pareja Wuqub Kak'ix, 'Osa Mayor'".
According to Allen Christenson (2007: note 552, page 198), "In the Quiché language, this would read 'you are watched over/cared for/commissioned.' Throughout the text, the Quichés promise to watch over and care for their gods, providing them with offerings, sustenance, and worship (p. 290; lines 8344-8346, 8379-8388). Tedlock suggests that it may be derived from the Kekchi, kwilix/wilix, “swallow” (the bird) and reads the full name as Lord Swallow (D. Tedlock 1996, 297 n. 152).
Colop (2008: nota 2, página 201) señala que "Alom viene de ali, 'niña', y k'ajolom viene de k'ajol, 'niño' o 'hijo de varón'. La partícula -om es un agentivo que hace referencia a su calidad de mujer que 'concibe' y al varón que 'engendra', respectivamente. Éstos son adjetivos que hacen referencia a la pareja creadora en una lectura antropomórfica".
Christenson (2007: note 240, page 104) translates the diety's name as "Stabbings Demon," derived from "the root toq' (to stab, to gore)."
Christenson (2007: note 236 p. 103): "Ajal Puj, Ajal Q'ana." Ajal is likely a loan word from Chol, meaning “evil spirit” (Campbell 1983, 81). Puj is “pus,” and q'ana is “yellowness, jaundice.”
Ximénez (13r) defines the name as "el q’hazía vasura" (he who makes trash). However, this translation flattens the spiritual significance of sweeping. Within K'iche' cosmovisión, the act of sweeping (mes) with a broom (mesb'al), is considered a way to keep demons from the underworld from entering the house. See Christenson (2007: note 239, p. 104), citing Tedlock (1996: note 92, p. 253).
When the Hero Twins first arrive at the crossroads of Xilb'ab'a, they face four possible paths: the red way, black way, white way, and yellow way. Ximénez expresses these paths in colonial K'iche' as "hun ꜫaꜫabe, hun cut queca be, zaqui be hun, hun cut eana be cahib be" (14r).
As Christenson (2007: page 59, footnote 56) explains, there is a complex etymological and conceptual link between Jun Raqan (juraqan/hurricane) and the creator diety, Uk'u'x Kaj (Heart of Sky); they are sometimes referred to as one in the same. According to Christenson, Uk'u'x Kaj "appears to be the principal god in the Popol Vuh account. He is the only deity to appear in every phase of the creation, as well as throughout the mythologic and historical portions of the text. K'ux refers to the heart as the source of the 'vital spirit' of a thing, or that which gives it life.
Sam Colop (2011: nota 52, páginas 209-210) destaca las varias e importantes interpretaciones del personaje divino, Xb'alamq'e. Escribe: "Una interpretación de este nombre es 'Pequeño Jaguar-venado' donde el prefijo x- indica el diminutivo, balam es 'jaguar' y ke es apócope de kej que significa 'venado'. Sin embargo, D. Tedlock (1996: 239) presenta una interesante traducción al identificar balam con 'jaguar' y 'oculto'; Q'e, 'Sol' en su fase nocturna de acuerdo con la tradición q'eqchi'.