Linear B

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Linear B
Type Syllabic with additional logographic signs
Languages Mycenaean
Time period
Parent systems Linear A
Linear B
Unicode range U+10000–U+1007F syllabic signs
U+10080–U+100FF logograms
ISO 15924 Linb
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode.
This article is about the ancient syllabary. See linear b (script engine) for information on the ECMAScript engine.

Linear B is a script that was used for writing Mycenaean, an early form of Greek. It predated the Greek alphabet by several centuries and seems to have died out with the fall of Mycenaean civilization. The intervening period, in which there is no evidence of the use of writing, is known as the Greek Dark Ages.

The script appears to be related to Linear A, an undeciphered earlier script used for writing the Minoan language, and the later Cypriot syllabary; derivation from another writing system is held to be the reason for its poor compliance with the phonemic principle. It is partly syllabic, with additional logographic signs that are "determinative", or "designational" (yielding "classes", and "types"). As such, it rather resembles modern Japanese writing in graphemic structure.

The application of Linear B was largely confined to administrative contexts. It is theorised that the script was used only by a caste of professional scribes whose native language was Minoan, not Greek[citation needed]. For example, logogram-abbreviations used in the Linear B texts are often irreconcilable with known Greek words but clearly identifiable with those of Linear A texts, and the orthography of Linear B texts was also very badly suited to the Greek language. This may be the reason why Linear B was quickly forgotten after the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces.

Contents

[edit] The script

Linear B has roughly 200 signs, divided into syllabic signs with phonetic values and logograms (or ideograms) with semantic values.

History of the
Greek language
(see also: Greek alphabet)
Proto-Greek (c. 2000 BC)
Mycenaean (c. 1600–1100 BC)
Ancient Greek (c. 800–300 BC)
Dialects:
Aeolic, Arcadocypriot, Attic-Ionic,
Doric, Pamphylian; Homeric Greek.
Possible dialect: Macedonian.
Koine Greek (from c. 300 BC)
Medieval Greek (c. 330–1453)
Modern Greek (from 1453)
Dialects:
Cappadocian, Cretan, Cypriot,
Demotic, Griko, Katharevousa,
Pontic, Tsakonian, Yevanic

[edit] Syllabic signs

Recognised signs of shape V, CV
-a -e -i -o -u
𐀀 a

*08

 𐀁 e

*38

 𐀂 i

*28

 𐀃 o

*61

 𐀄 u

*10
d- 𐀅 da

*01

 𐀆 de

*45

 𐀇 di

*07

 𐀈 do

*14

 𐀉 du

*51
j- 𐀊 ja

*57

 𐀋 je

*46

 𐀍 jo

*36
k- 𐀏 ka

*77

 𐀐 ke

*44

 𐀑 ki

*67

 𐀒 ko

*70

 𐀓 ku

*81
m- 𐀔 ma

*80

 𐀕 me

*13

 𐀖 mi

*73

 𐀗 mo

*15

 𐀘 mu

*23
n- 𐀙 na

*06

 𐀚 ne

*24

 𐀛 ni

*30

 𐀜 no

*52

 𐀝 nu

*55
p- 𐀞 pa

*03

 𐀟 pe

*72

 𐀠 pi

*39

 𐀡 po

*11

 𐀢 pu

*50
q- 𐀣 qa

*16

 𐀤 qe

*78

 𐀥 qi

*21

 𐀦 qo

*32
r- 𐀨 ra

*60

 𐀩 re

*27

 𐀪 ri

*53

 𐀫 ro

*02

 𐀬 ru

*26
s- 𐀭 sa

*31

 𐀮 se

*09

 𐀯 si

*41

 𐀰 so

*12

 𐀱 su

*58
t- 𐀲 ta

*59

 𐀳 te

*04

 𐀴 ti

*37

 𐀵 to

*05

 𐀶 tu

*69
w- 𐀷 wa

*54

 𐀸 we

*75

 𐀹 wi

*40

 𐀺 wo

*42
z- 𐀼 za

*17

 𐀽 ze

*74

 𐀿 zo

*20
Additional Signs
Grapheme 𐁐 𐁑 𐁒 𐁀 𐁆 𐁊 𐁓 𐁁 𐁔 𐁅 𐁕 𐁖 𐁇 𐁗 𐁘 𐀎 𐁋 𐁉 𐁃 𐁈 𐁙 𐁚 𐁛 𐁂 𐁜 𐁌 𐁝 𐁄 𐁍
Transcription *18 *19 *22 a2 pu2 ra3 *34 a3 *47 nwa *49 *56 pte *63 *64 *65 ta2 ro2 dwe ra2 *79 *82 *83 au *86 twe *89 dwo two
Numerical value *18 *19 *22 *25 *29 *33 *34 *43 *47 *48 *49 *56 *62 *63 *64 *65 *66 *68 *71 *76 *79 *82 *83 *75 *86 *87 *89 *90 *91

The transcriptions of the recognised signs are approximations: each are may be used used to represent a variety of distinct combinations of sounds. Linear B does not mark for voicing or aspiration even when it is phonemic in Mycenaean Greek, though there are exceptions (there is a separate d-series for voiced dentals, and aspiration can be marked by alternatives such as a2).

The j-series represents the semivowel equivalent to English "y", and is used word-initially and as an intervocalic glide after a syllable ending in ι (e.g. -a-jo for -αῖος; a-te-mi-ti-jo for Ἀρτεμιτιος).

The r-series includes both the /r/ and /l/ phonemes.

The "q"-series is used for the labiovelars resulting from Proto-Indo-European /kʷ/, /gʷ/, and /gʷʰ/, the latter being devoiced to /kʷʰ/ in Proto-Greek.

Of the additional syllabic signs in the second table:

  • Some signs do not follow the simple V/CV typological model, such as au, dwo.
  • Some signs alternate with a 'core' sign, such as a3 and pu2. Their phonetic value may or many not fit the CV model, but the use of a subscript denotes that these are true variants, i.e. the version without the subscript is always an option for the scribe (as opposed to, e.g. dwe, which is not written de2, because it alternates with du-we).

In editions of Mycenaean texts, those signs whose value has not been confirmed by CIPEM are always transcribed as numbers preceded by an asterisk (e.g. *64). CIPEM also allocates the numerical identifiers, and until such allocation, new signs are transcribed as a bullet-point enclosed in square brackets: [•].

[edit] Ideograms

Linear B also uses a number of logograms, which are informally referred to as ideograms. These ideograms espress:

  • The type of object concerned (e.g. a cow, wool, a spear)
  • A unit of weight

They are never used mid-sentence; rather, they occupy the same sort of position as a currency mark in modern orthography. Many of the values remain unknown or disputed. Some commodities such as cloth and containers are divided into many different categories represented by distinct ideograms. Livestock may be marked with respect to their sex. However, the ideograms are symbols, not pictures of the objects in question - e.g. one tablet records a tripod with missing legs, but the ideogram used is of a tripod with three legs.

The numerical references for the ideograms was originally devised by Ventris and Bennett, divided into functional groups corresponding to the breakdown in Bennett's index. These groups are numbered beginning 100, 110, 120 etc., with some provision of spare numbers for future additions; the official CIPEM numberings used today are based on Ventris and Bennett's numbering, with the provision that three or four letter codes (written in small capitals), based on relevant Latin words, are used where the meanings are knwon and agreed. Unicode (as of version 5.0) encodes 123 Linear B ideograms.

glyph codepoint Bennett CIPEM meaning
people and animals
𐂀 U+10080 100A VIR man
𐂁 U+10081 102 A MUL woman
𐂂 U+10082 104 Cn CERV deer
𐂃 U+10083 105 Ca EQU equid
𐂄 U+10084 105b Ca EQUf mare
𐂅 U+10085 105a Ca EQUm stallion
𐂆 U+10086 106b C-D OVISf ewe
𐀥 U+10025 *21 OVIS sheep
*75 yearling?
𐂇 U+10087 106a C-D OVISm ram
𐂈 U+10088 107b C-Mc CAPf nanny goat
𐂉 U+10089 107a C CAPm billy goat
𐁒 U+10052 *22 CAP goat
𐂊 U+1008A 108b C SUSf sow
𐂋 U+1008B 108a C SUSm boar
𐁂 U+10042 *85 C SUS pig
𐂌 U+1008C 109b C BOSf cow
𐂍 U+1008D 109a C BOSm bull
𐀘 U+10018 *23 BOS ox
units of measurement
110 volume
111 volume
112 dry
113 liquid
114 weight
115 weight
116 weight
117 weight
118 L talent
by dry measure
𐂎 U+1008E 120 E-F GRA wheat
𐂏 U+1008F 121 F HORD barley
𐂐 U+10090 OLIV 122 F-U olive
𐂑 U+10091 123 G-Un spice
124 G CYP cyperus
𐂒 U+10092 125 F CYP cyperus?
126 F CYP+KU cyperus+ku
𐂓 U+10093 127 Un KA+PO fruit?
𐂔 U+10094 128 G safflower
weapons
𐃆 U+100C6 230 R JAC spear
𐃇 U+100C7 231 R SAG arrow
𐃈 U+100C8 232 Ta double axe?
𐃉 U+100C9 233 Ra PUG sword
chariots
𐃌 U+100cc 240 Sc wheeled chariot
𐃍 U+100CD 241 Sd Se wheel-less chariot
𐃎 U+100CE 242 Sf Sg chariot frame
𐃏 U+100CF 243 Sa So ROTA wheel

[edit] Archives

[edit] Corpus

The tablets are classified by the location of their excavation.

  • KN Knossos: ca. 4360 tablets (not counting finds of Linear A, etc)
  • PY Pylos : 1087 tablets
  • TH Thebes: 99 tablets + 238 published in 2002.
  • MY Mycenae: 73 tablets
  • TI Tiryns: 27 tablets.
  • KH Chania: 4 tablets
  • another 170 inscriptions in Linear B were found on vessels.

The publication of the Thebes tablets (L. Godart and A. Sacconi, 2002) was long anticipated, and their actual content was rather disappointing compared to what had been hinted at by the editors in the previous years.

If it is genuine, the Kafkania pebble, dated to the 17th century BC, would be the oldest known Mycenean inscription, and hence the earliest preserved testimony of the Greek language.

[edit] Chronology

According to Cynthia Shelmerdine (as summarised in "Where Do We Go From Here?"), the main archives for Linear B are associated with these stages of Late Minoan and Helladic pottery:

LM II:

  • Knossos, Room of the Chariot Tablets

LM IIIA2 or IIIB:

  • Knossos, main archive

LM IIIB:

  • Chania, tablet Sq 1, also 6659 and KH 3 (possibly Linear B)

end LH/LM IIIB1:

  • Chania, tablets Ar 3, Gq 5, X 6
  • Mycenae, tablets from Oil Merchant group of houses
  • Thebes, Ug tablets and Wu sealings

end LH IIIB2:

  • Mycenae, tablets from the Citadel
  • Tiryns, all tablets
  • Thebes, Of tablets and new Pelopidou Street deposit
  • Pylos, all but five tablets

LM III is equivalent to LH III from a chronological perspective.

Majority opinion dates the main archive of Knossos to LM IIIA:2 (the 14th century BC).

"LM" IIIB's material culture represents Cretan alternatives to LH ware, and is not homogenous (and since it was not controlled by Knossos, it is retains the title "Minoan" only as shorthand).

As for LH IIIB: it likely begins in the 1310s or 1300s BC, after Mursilis II's sack of Miletus; it ends around 1200 BC.

[edit] Contents

The major cities and palaces used Linear B for records of disbursements of goods. Wool, sheep, and grain were some common items, often given to groups of religious people and also to groups of "men watching the coastline".

The tablets were kept in groups in baskets on shelves, judging by impressions left in the clay from the weaving of the baskets. When the buildings in which they were housed were destroyed by fires, many of the tablets were then fired.

[edit] Decipherment

The first clay tablet at Knossos was discovered by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans on March 31, 1900 and on April 6 he discovered a significant hoard of tablets (measuring 5x10 inches).

The convention for numbering the symbols still in use today was first devised by US Professor Emmett Bennett, who, by 1950, had deciphered the metrical system. He was also an early proponent of the idea that Linear A and B represented different languages.

Michael Ventris and John Chadwick performed the bulk of their decipherment of Linear B between 1951 and 1953. At first, Ventris chose his own numbering system, and agreed with Evans' hypothesis that Linear B was not Greek, however later switched back to Bennett's system, and ultimately reached the conclusion that Linear B was indeed an early form of Greek.

Before their work, Alice Kober had studied Linear B and had managed to construct grids, linking symbols that seemed to have a strong grammatical relationship. Kober had noticed that a number of Linear B words had common roots and suffixes. This led her to believe that Linear B represented an inflected language, with nouns changing their endings depending on their case. However, some characters in the middle of the words seemed to correspond with neither a root nor a suffix. Because this effect was found in other, known languages, Kober surmised that the odd characters were bridging syllables, with the beginning of the syllable belonging to the root and the end belonging to the suffix. This was a reasonable assumption, since Linear B had far too many characters to be considered alphabetic and far too few characters to be logographic; therefore, each character should represent a syllable.

Using the knowledge that certain characters shared the same beginning or ending sounds, Kober built a table similar to the one above; her untimely death at age 43 in 1950 prevented her from possibly taking the final step or see others do it, namely to link the characters to actual phonetics.

Based on her work, and after making some inspired assumptions, Ventris was able to figure out the pronunciation of the syllables. The deciphering of Linear B proved that it was a written form of Greek, to the amazement of Ventris himself, but also in direct contradiction to the general scientific views of the times. Chadwick, an expert in historical Greek, helped Ventris decipher the text and rebuild the vocabulary and grammar of Mycenaean Greek.

Ventris' discovery was of immense significance, because it demonstrated a Greek-speaking Minoan-Mycenaean culture on Crete.

[edit] Unicode

Linear B is assigned Unicode range 10000–1007F for syllabograms and 10080–100FF for ideograms.

Linear B Syllabary / Ideograms
Unicode.org chart Syllabary / Ideograms (PDF)
U+ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
10000 𐀀 𐀁 𐀂 𐀃 𐀄 𐀅 𐀆 𐀇 𐀈 𐀉 𐀊 𐀋 𐀌 𐀍 𐀎 𐀏
10010 𐀐 𐀑 𐀒 𐀓 𐀔 𐀕 𐀖 𐀗 𐀘 𐀙 𐀚 𐀛 𐀜 𐀝 𐀞 𐀟
10020 𐀠 𐀡 𐀢 𐀣 𐀤 𐀥 𐀦 𐀧 𐀨 𐀩 𐀪 𐀫 𐀬 𐀭 𐀮 𐀯
10030 𐀰 𐀱 𐀲 𐀳 𐀴 𐀵 𐀶 𐀷 𐀸 𐀹 𐀺 𐀻 𐀼 𐀽 𐀾 𐀿
10040 𐁀 𐁁 𐁂 𐁃 𐁄 𐁅 𐁆 𐁇 𐁈 𐁉 𐁊 𐁋 𐁌 𐁍 𐁎 𐁏
10050 𐁐 𐁑 𐁒 𐁓 𐁔 𐁕 𐁖 𐁗 𐁘 𐁙 𐁚 𐁛 𐁜 𐁝 𐁞 𐁟
10060 𐁠 𐁡 𐁢 𐁣 𐁤 𐁥 𐁦 𐁧 𐁨 𐁩 𐁪 𐁫 𐁬 𐁭 𐁮 𐁯
10070 𐁰 𐁱 𐁲 𐁳 𐁴 𐁵 𐁶 𐁷 𐁸 𐁹 𐁺 𐁻 𐁼 𐁽 𐁾 𐁿
10080 𐂀 𐂁 𐂂 𐂃 𐂄 𐂅 𐂆 𐂇 𐂈 𐂉 𐂊 𐂋 𐂌 𐂍 𐂎 𐂏
10090 𐂐 𐂑 𐂒 𐂓 𐂔 𐂕 𐂖 𐂗 𐂘 𐂙 𐂚 𐂛 𐂜 𐂝 𐂞 𐂟
100A0 𐂠 𐂡 𐂢 𐂣 𐂤 𐂥 𐂦 𐂧 𐂨 𐂩 𐂪 𐂫 𐂬 𐂭 𐂮 𐂯
100B0 𐂰 𐂱 𐂲 𐂳 𐂴 𐂵 𐂶 𐂷 𐂸 𐂹 𐂺 𐂻 𐂼 𐂽 𐂾 𐂿
100C0 𐃀 𐃁 𐃂 𐃃 𐃄 𐃅 𐃆 𐃇 𐃈 𐃉 𐃊 𐃋 𐃌 𐃍 𐃎 𐃏
100D0 𐃐 𐃑 𐃒 𐃓 𐃔 𐃕 𐃖 𐃗 𐃘 𐃙 𐃚 𐃛 𐃜 𐃝 𐃞 𐃟
100E0 𐃠 𐃡 𐃢 𐃣 𐃤 𐃥 𐃦 𐃧 𐃨 𐃩 𐃪 𐃫 𐃬 𐃭 𐃮 𐃯
100F0 𐃰 𐃱 𐃲 𐃳 𐃴 𐃵 𐃶 𐃷 𐃸 𐃹 𐃺 𐃻 𐃼 𐃽 𐃾 𐃿

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_B"
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