Introduction to supersyllabograms on Linear A tablets: PART A
Supersyllabograms in Mycenaean Linear B:
The phenomenon of the supersyllabogram in Mycenaean Linear B was first introduced to the world at at the Third Interdisciplinary Conference, Thinking Symbols, on July 1, 2015, at the Pultusk Academy of Humanities, here:
Prior to 2015, no researcher had ever identified supersyllabograms in Linear B. But what is a supersyllabogram? A supersyllabogram is the first syllabogram, i.e. the first syllable of a particular major Mycenaean Linear B word paired with a particular ideogram in any of the major sectors of the Mycenaean economy, agricultural, military, textiles, vessels and pottery. Initially, in 2015, 34 supersyllabograms were identified in this talk, which is brief enough for you to glean a clear conception of what supersyllabograms entail.
By 2016, this number had risen to 36, 35 syllabograms and 1 homophone or logogram (AI), published in Archaeology and Science, Vol. 11 (2015), ISSN 1452-7448, pp. 73-108, published in 2016, here:
Here is the abstract of that article:
A supersyllabogram is the first syllabogram, i.e. the first syllable of a major (never minor) economic indicator combined with a closely related ideogram in the four economic sectors of the Mycenaean economy, agricultural, military, textiles and vessels or pottery. With very few exceptions, change the economic sector and you change the meaning of any particular supersyllabogram. Of some 3,500 tablets and fragments from Knossos, about 800 or 23% contain at least one supersyllabogram and sometimes as many as four or five. The whole point of supersyllabograms is that they are meant to eliminate text on tablets to the greatest possible extent. In a syllabary of 61 syllabograms + one homophone (AI), 36 syllabograms or 59% are supersyllabograms. Supersyllabograms serve to greatly economize on the precious space available on the tiny inventory tablets in Linear B. Any complete decipherment of Linear B must fully account for the supersyllabogram as a unique phenomenon without which any approach to the interpretation of the Linear B syllabary is squarely compromised.
Supersyllabograms in Linear A:
As it turns out, supersyllabograms were not invented by the Mycenaeans, but by the Minoans. They first emerged in Linear A, not Linear B. In a syllabary of 54 syllabograms, 27 or 50 % are supersyllabograms. This compares favourably with the incidence of supersyllabograms in Linear B, in which 36 or 59 % of 61 syllabograms are supersyllabograms.
KEY to supersyllabograms in Linear A:
fi = figs
gr = grains (wheat)
ma = man, person
oo = olives, olive oil
pi = pigs
ra = rams
sh = sheep
te = textiles
ve = vessels
wi = wine & vinegar
Locales where Linear A tablets have been found:
HT = Haghia Triada
KH = Khania
MA = Malia
PE = Petras
PH = Phaistos
TH = Thera
TY = Tylissos
ZA = Zakros
The numeric value of each supersyllabograms is rated as follows:
BOLD: n. e.g. 21. TE = a supersyllabogram for which the definition is either certain or highly probable.
Italics: n. e.g. 1. A = a supersyllabogram for which the definition is possible.
Standard font: n. e.g. 2 = a supersyllabogram for which the definition is unlikely or questionable.
1. A aka = aska = a0ska = wine skin -or- apero PGS a1mpeloj = a vine Cf. Linear B apero -or- aresana NM1 a1leisana <- a1leison = an embossed cup (arch. acc.) = de/paj (Homeric) Cf. Linear B dipa/arisu NM1 a1leisu <- a1leison = embossed cup
HT 2 oo HT 39 ve KH 83 ve MA 10 ve
2. DA dadumata OM = harvesting? -or- grain(s) measured? -or- dadumina/dadumine OM= related to harvesting?
HT 133 gr
3. DI dipa3a (dipaia) PGS di/paia <- di/paj de/paj = from a cup -or- dipaja PGS di/paia <- di/paj de/paj = from a cup (alternate?)
HT 12 oo HT 14 oo (x2) HT 28 oo (x5) HT 50 oo HT 90 oo HT 116 oo HT 121 oo HT 129 oo
4. E etori NM1 e1tori <- e1toj = for a year?
HT 2 oo HT 21 oo HT 34 gr HT 50 oo HT 58 oo MA 10 (x3)
5. KA kadi MOSE NM1 kadi/ (instr. sing.) <- ka/doj = with a jar or vessel for water or wine
HT 28 wi HT 88 ma HT 100 ma
6. KE ?
HT 26 ve (x2)
7. KI kitina NM1 ktoi/na/ktoina/siaj = border of a plot of land/territory Cf. Linear B kotona kotoina ktoi/na = plot of land?
HT 8 oo HT 9 wi HT 16 oo HT 28 oo HT 44 gr HT 50 oo (x2) HT 91 oo HT 101 oo (x2) HT 116 (x2) HT 125 oo HT 129 oo HT 140 oo? (x2) TY 3 (x3) ZA 18 oo
8. KU?
HT 38 te (x2) HT 61 gr HT 128 gr (x6) PH 31 sh (x7)
9. ME meza NM1 me/za (fem. sing.) = greater, bigger Cf. Linear B mezo me/zwn me/zoj?
TY 3 oo ZA 15 wi
10. MI ? HT 28 oo HT 50 oo HT 58 oo HT 90 oo HT 91 oo (x2) HT 100 oo HT 101 oo HT 116 oo (x2) HT 125 oo HT 137 oo TY 3 oo (x5)
11. NE nea NM1 ne/a = new Cf. Linear B ne/#a = new -or- nere OM = larger amphora size (fem. plural)
HT 23 oo HT 32 oo (x2) HT 100 oo
12. PA pa3ni/pa3nina/pa3niwi OM = millet -or- spelt -or- pa3qe -or- qepa3 i.e. paiqe -or- qepai (+ ideogram for “wheat”) LIG = a kind of grain similar to wheat
HT 43 gr HT 93 gr (x2) HT 120 gr (x3) HT 125 oo HT 128 gr KH 27 gr PE 1 (x2) TY 3 oo ZA 6 gr (x3) ZA 11 (x5) ZA 18 gr ZA 28 gr
13. QE qera2u/qera2wa OM = a type of grain, probably millet or spelt (inflected) -or-
qeria OM = probably millet or spelt
HT 16 gr HT 28 gr HT 36 gr HT 99 gr HT 101 gr HT 121 oo ZA 11 gr
14. RA ranatusu (agglutinative?) -or- NM1 r9anatusu < – r9anti/zw = to cleanse, purify
rani NM1 r9a=ni/j = anything sprinkled (as in a libation); rain drop See also ratise -or- ratise (ritise?) NM1 = la/tise <- la/taj = with drops of wine (instr. pl.)
HT 44 oo KH 31 ve KH 91 ve ZA 6 wi (x2) ZA 15
15. RI rima NM1 lei=mac = garden -or- lei=mma = remnant, remains -or- lh=mma = income, receipts (dative/instrumental plural)
HT 23 oo HT 35 oo HT 60 oo KH 82 oo
16. RU ruma/rumu/rumata/rumatase lu=matase <- lu=ma = offscourings from grain, i.e chaff?
KH 12 ve (x2) KH 63 ve KH 83 ve KH 84 ve KH 85 ve KH 91 ve
17. SA sato PGS Hebrew sa/ton = Hebrew unit of measurement?
HT 27 gr (x2) wi HT 144 wi HT 131 wi ZA 15 wi
18. SI sika NM1 shka/ (arch. acc.) <- shko/j = fold, enclosure; (sheep) pen; sacred precinct, shrine = <- zhka/zw = to pen in Cf. Linear B periqoro peri/boloj = sheep pen?
HT 27 wi PH 31 pi PH 31 sh ZA 9 sh (x3)
19. SU supa3 (supai)/supa3ra (supaira) OM =small cup with handles Cf. Linear B dipa mewiyo
-or- supi/supu/supu2 OM = largest size pithos -or- MOSE NM1 supu/h sipu/h sipu/a i0pu/a = meal
20. MA? 10 ve ZA 5 wi
TA taikama OM tai + NM1 ka/ma = a unit of land, something like an acre? -or- ta2re/ta2reki NM1 sta=rei<- stai=j wheaten flour mixed into dough + tasise sta/sisei -or- tai2si (taisi) NM1 stai=sei <- stai=j = with wheaten flour mixed into a dough (instr. pl.)
HT 28 oo (x2) HT 35 oo KH 19 oo KH 39 KH 55 oo KH 61 oo KH 85 oo
21. TE = teresa OM = liquid unit of measurement
HT 6 fi HT 13 wi HT 17 wi HT 19 wi HT 21 gr HT 40 gr HT 44 gr HT 51 fi HT 62 wi HT 67 fi HT 70 fi HT 96 fi HT 133 gr TH 6 te TH Zb 11 wi
22. TI tisa OM = pottery worker/working on pottery/pottery wheel (tourney)?
KH 10 ve
23. TU ?
HT 23 oo HT 28 oo HT 50 oo HT 101 oo TY 3 oo
24. U uro NM1 ou0=loj = entire, total. Cf. kuro ku=rwn = reaching, attaining i.e. = total ?
HT 2 oo HT 21 oo HT 28 oo HT 40 00 (x3) HT 43 oo HT 58 oo HT 91 oo HT 96 oo HT 100 oo HT 101 oo (x2) HT 125 oo HT 140 oo (x8) TY 3 oo
25. WA HT 27 wi (x2)
26. WI winadu #i1nadu = vineyard Cf. Linear B winado -or- winu NM1 #i/nu = wine Cf. Linear B wono #oi/noj -or- winumatari NM1 #i/numa/tari = wine dedicated to Mother Earth (agglutinative)
27. KH 5 wi
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This lexicon adopts the conventions followed by L.R. Palmer in his ground-breaking work on Linear B, The Interpretation of Mycenaean Greek Texts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, © 1963, 1998. ix, 488 pp. ISBN 0-19-813144-5 (1998). For Palmer’s glossary, which follows these conventions, see pp. 402-473. We have adopted these conventions to make the vocabulary of Linear A accessible to any and all, from lay persons not yet familiar with Linear A and non-linguists (somewhat) familiar with Linear B and/or A all the way to professional linguists adept in Linear B, and possibly also in Linear A, in order that everyone, regardless of education or scholastic background may readily access our Linear A Lexicon and come to familiarize him- or herself with at least the rudiments of Linear A, or in the case of professional linguists, with the intricacies of the syllabary. This Lexicon represents all of the vocabulary Alexandre Solça and I myself have compiled, plus around 100 additional exograms deciphered by Peter van Soebergen in his superb 4 volume set, Minoan Linear. Amsterdam, Brave New Books, © 2016. ISBN 9789402157574 Originally published 1987 801. rosa 802. rosasiro 803. rotau 804. roti 805. rotwei 806. rua 807. rudedi 808. ruiko 809. Rujamime 810. ruka/rukaa/ruki/rukike 811. Rukito 812. ruko 813. rukue 814. ruma/rumu/rumata/rumatase 815. rupoka 816. ruqa/ruqaqa 817. rura2 (rurai) 818. rusa/rusi 819. rusaka 820. rutari 821. rutia 822. ruzuna 823. sadi 824. saja 825. sajama/sajamana 826. sajamadi 827. sajea 828. saka 829. samidae 830. samuku 831. sanitii 832. sapo/sapi 833. saqa 834. saqeri 835. sara2 (sarai)/sarara/saro/saru 836. saradi 837. sarara 838. sareju 839. saro/saroqe 840. saru/sarutu 841. sasaja 842. sasame 843. Sasara(me) 844. sasupu 845. sato/sata 846. sea/sei 847. sedina 848. sedire 849. seikama 850. Seimasusaa 851. seitau 852. Sejarapaja 853. Sejasinataki 854. Sekadidi 855. Sekatapi 856. sekidi 857. Sekiriteseja 858. sekutu 859. semake 860. semetu 861. senu 862. sepa 863. sere -or- rese 864. sesapa3 865. Sesasinunaa 866. sesi -or- sise 867. setamaru 868. Seterimuajaku 869. Setira 870. Setoija 871. sezami 872. sezanitao 873. sezaredu 874. sezatimitu 875. sia 876. side/sidi/sidare 877. sidate/sidatoi 878. sidija 879. sii/siida/siisi 880. siitau 881. sija 882. Sijanakarunau 883. sika 884. siketapi 885. sikine 886. Sikira/Sikirita 887. sima 888. simara 889. simeki 890. simita 891. sina 892. sinada 893. sinae 834. sinakanau 895. sinamiu 896. sinatakira 897. sinedui 898. sipiki 899. sipu3ka 900. sire/siro/siru/sirute 901. siriki 902. sireneti 903. sirumarita2 (sirumarita1) 904. sita2 (sitai) -or- ta2si (taisi) 905. sitetu 906. situ 907. situra2re 908. siwamaa 909. sodira 910. sokanipu 911. sokemase 912. sudaja 913. suja 914. sukinima 915. Sukirita/Sukiriteija 916. suniku 917. supu2ka 918. supa3 (supai)/supa3ra (supaira) 919. supi/supu/supu2 (supui) 920. sure 921. suria 922. suropa 923. sutu/sutunara 924. suu 925. suwaresu 926. suzu 923. taa 924. tadaki/tadati 925. tadeuka 926. taikama 927. Tainaro 928. tainuma 929. tainumapa 930. Ta2merakodisi (Taimerakodisi) 931. ta2re (raire) 932. ta2reki /ta2riki (aireki/tairiki) 933. Ta2rimarusi (Tairimarusi) 944. tai2si (taisi) 945. ta2tare 946. ta2tite 947. ta2u 948. tajusu 949. takaa/takari 950. taki/taku/takui 951. Tamaduda 952. Tanamaje 953. Tanarateutinu 954. tanate/tanati 955. Tanunikina 956. tamaru 957. tami/tamia/tamisi 958. tani/taniria/tanirizu 959. tanika 960. taniti 961. Tanunikina 962. tanurija 963. tanuwasa... 964. tapa 965. tapiida 966. tapiqe 967. tara/tare 968. tarasa 969. tarawita 970. tarejanai 971. tarikisu 972. tarina (tawena) 973. taritama 974. taro 975. tasa/tasaja 976. tasaza 977. tasise 978. tata/tati 979. tatapa3du (tatapaidu) 980. ta2tare (taitare) 981. ta2tite (taitite) 982. Tateikezare... (truncated) 983. tedasi/tedatiqa 984. tedekima 985. teepikia 986. teizatima 987. teja(i)/teija 988. teijo 989. tejare 990. tekare 991. teke/teki 992. tekidia 993. temada/temadai 994. temeku 995. temirerawi 996. tenamipi 997. tenata/tenataa 998. Tenatunapa3ku 999. tenekuka 1000. teneruda 1001. teniku 1002. tenita(ki) 1003. tenu/tenumi 1004. tepi 1005. tera/tere 1006. teraseda 1007. tereau 1008. tereza 1009. teri (tewe)/teridu 1010. terikama 1011. tero/teroa 1012. terota -or- rotate -or- tatero 1013. terusi 1014. tesi/tesiqe 1015. Tesudesekei 1016. tetita2 (tetitai) 1017. tetu 1018. Tewirumati 1019. Tidama 1020. tidata 1021. tidiate 1022. tiditeqati 1023. tiduni/tiduitii 1024. tiisako 1025. tija 1026. tika 1027. titiku 1028. tikiqa 1029. tikuja 1030. tikuneda 1031. timaruri/timaruwite 1032. timasa 1033. timi 1034. timunuta 1035. tina 1036. Tinakarunau 1037. tinata/tinita 1038. tinesekuda 1039. Tininaka 1040. tinu/tinuka/tinuja 1041. tinusekiqa 1042. tio 1043. tiqatediti 1044. tiqe/tiqeri/tiqeu 1045. tiraduja 1046. tira2 1047. tirakapa3 (tirakapai) 1048. tire 1049. tisa 1050. tiri 1051. tiriadidakitipaku 1052. tisiritua 1053. tisudapa 1054. tita 1055. titema 1056. titiku 1057. titima 1058. titisutisa 1059. tiu 1060. tiumaja 1061. tizanukaa 1062. toipa 1063. tome 1064. toraka 1065. toreqa 1066. toro 1067. totane 1068. tuda 1069. tui 1070. tujuma 1071. tukidija 1072. tukuse 1073. tuma/tumei/tumi 1074. tumitizase 1075. tunada 1076. tunapa 1077. tunapa3ku 1078. tunija
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