THE CRETAN SCRIPTS
Brian E. Colless
My studies on the ancient scripts of the lands in and around the Mediterranean Sea (West Asia, North Africa, Europe, Cyclades, Crete, Cyprus) have been life-long, but my first publication on the subject dates from 1988: it is an attempt to identify the original picture-signs (pictophonograms, picture-symbols representing a unit of speech, either a syllable or a single sound) that produced the various letters of the Semitic (Phoenician, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabian) and Greco-Roman alphabets. Preceding this simple writing system, which was a consonantary (indicating consonants but not vowels), and which I call the protoalphabet, there was also a pictophonographic syllabary used in the West Semitic region (notably at Byblos), and this syllabic system was in use in the 23rd century BCE, before the invention of the West Semitic protoalphabet and before writing appeared in Crete. My working hypothesis is that the West Semitic syllabary provided the model for the Aegean systems, and also for the Luwian script ('hieroglyphic Hittite') of Anatolia, and even the Meso-American writing systems, including the Mayan logosyllabary.
There were four syllabic scripts used on Crete in the Bronze Age (before 1200 BCE approximately). In the subsequent Iron Age, the Phoenician and Greek alphabets were employed, and the syllabaries were discarded (though in Cyprus a syllabary based on the Cretan script, specifically Linear A, continued to flourish).
The three main Cretan systems were related, as a genealogical family.
(1) Pictophonographic syllabary (PA) > (2) Linear A syllabary (LA) > (3) Linear B syllabary (LB).
(4) The fourth script was another pictophonographic syllabary (PB), which is found on the Phaistos Disc and on other documents, and which seems to be related to the other family (at least to the extent that they have many of their pictorial characters in common).
We can speak of a northern pictophonographic script (KnP, particularly connected with the palaces of Knossos and Mallia) and a southern pictophonographic script (PhP, connected with the Phaistos palace). When the Linear A syllabary was established (as a stylized simplified form of the pictophonographic system) it became universal over the island, and (somewhat paradoxically) the largest corpus of administrative tablets (that have so far been discovered) comes from Hagia Triada, near Phaistos.
I refrain from applying the term 'hieroglyphic' to the pictophonographic signs; it is a word that should be restricted to Egyptology; it leaves the Phaistos pictophonographs out of the picture; they are all pictorial signs, with nothing 'holy' (hieros) about them.
It must also be remembered that the three main systems (northern PG, LA, LB) are found beyond Crete, and it is not inconceivable that the original Aegean script was invented on the mainland (Greece) or on another island. An example of the northern pictophonographic writing was found in Kea/Keos, an island east of Athens; it is an impression on a hearth rim; and also Linear A inscriptions. This fact provides support for my hypothesis that this system was constructed acrophonically on the basis of a Hellenic dialect (examples: A axinê 'ax', O ops 'eye', TO toxon 'bow'; NI nikuleon 'fig', a Cretan word).
The signs in the 'linear' forms (LA, LB, and Linear C in Cyprus) are known to have functioned as 'syllabograms' (and also as 'logograms' in LA and LB).
Two tables are offered here: the first (Cretan Syllabograms) shows my attempt to match up the signs of the three northern systems (PG, LA , LB, as P, A, B), on the principle that the pictorial signs become stylized in the Linear A inventory, and even more so in Linear B; the second table (Cretan Pictosyllabograms) presents the signs of the northern pictophonographic syllabograms.
The P standing for pictophonographic is actually KnP (Knossos P) in the northern context; where it has to be distinguished from the southern script, KnP and PhP (Phaistos P) will be used.
A paradox is that although the Linear A script evolved out of the northern picto-syllabary, the largest collection of Linear A administrative tablets comes from Hagia Triada, adjacent to Phaistos; while Knossos and Mallia have yielded only a few fragmentary clay tablets. However, at Phaistos there are tablets exhibiting the southern script (Phaistos syllabary) as well as the northern Linear A script.
Notice that I reject the defeatist nonsense that there were not many Consonant+O signs in Linear A; supposedly lacking were so, do, dwo, mo, qo, yo, wo, no, two, ryo, zo, though o, po, to, ko, ro were grudgingly accepted onto the table; but it is true that they were not used frequently, and this says something about the language or languages in the Linear A texts.
INVENTORY OF CRETAN AND CYPRIAN SYLLABOGRAMS
P: Pictophonograms (informally “hieroglyphs”) the pictorial glyphs.[1]
PD: Phaistos Disc script (pictophonic, and linear, “Linear D”).[2]
A: Linear A syllabary.[3]
B: Linear B syllabary.[4]
AB: where Linear A signs have been identified with their B counterparts.[5]
CA: Cyprian Archaic syllabary (derived from Linear A).[6]
CC: Cyprian Cuneiform (Cypro-Minoan).[7]
C: Linear C, the Cyprian syllabary.[8]
A (P42, AB8, CA2, CC101, 102, C A) is an ax (axinê), with triangular or curved blades, but these were squared in the stylization process.
A/HA (B25) arrow?
AI (A306, B43) possibly a goat (aiks) or an eagle (aietos); cp. QI and ME.
AU (P17 13a, AB85) a pig.
E (P28, AB38, CA17, CC38, C E; also PD2) can be related to etheira, “hair” or “horse hair crest on helmets” (Homer).
I (P31, A28a, AB28, CA21/104, CC104. C I) appears to be an olive branch, hence ‘iketêria (elaia), a suppliant’s olive branch, wound around with wool, and the end of the thread is shown on some of the A28a forms; this causes confusion with the thumb of NO, and these are both mistakenly catalogued under A28; see NO below.
O (P5, AB61, CC64 84 66, C O) is an eye, still detectable in some Linear A glyphs (HT Wa 1279 shows the pupil and the eyelashes); it has been confused with the BEER sign (AB123) on TL Za 1a
U (P95, AB10, CC19 20 79, C U) apparently began as ‘ustrix, a porcupine or hedgehog, but its features were lost, and, like KU (dog), it was wrongly seen as a bird.
BA/PHA (AB56) a ladder with 3 or 4 rungs (not klimaks, but bathron, a set of steps or ladder).
BU (see PHU)
DA (P27, P29, AB1, CA18, CC4, C TA) is a leafy twig (thallos) but reduced to a stick form (|-).
DE (P37, P94c, AB45; CC97, C RO) is a dwelling on legs; its equivalent character on the Phaistos Disc (PD24) is more detailed, with a dome-top and a protruding plate; it resembles some of the later tombs in Lykia; perhaps thêkê, “grave” (or demein, “build”). Because Linear A RO (the + sign) was used for Cyprian LO, a new RO had to be found for the Cyprian syllabary, and apparently DE was adopted for RO.
DI (P39, AB7) seems to be a net, perhaps on a pole in the present case, and Greek diktuon, “net” comes to mind; P39 represents network and would be the original sign.
DO (P50, A304, B14) looks like a spear, and doru has that meaning.
DU (P59, P60, AB51, CC32 46 47 106, C SU) can be seen as a man with a crook, though some of its developed shapes are enigmatic; its original pictogram would be the crook alone (P59, and P60, which has an angle rather than a curve at the top). The staff could be a symbol of power (Greek dunamis, dunasteia); the man (dunastês, potentate) must have been added for clarity, but this detail was obscured in the Linear B version; it reappears in Cyprian SU.
DWE (B71, P4?)
DWO (AB118) is a pair of scales, symbolizing “weight”.
KA (P47, AB77, CA9, CC25, C KA) appears regularly as a cross (+) within a circle, like Tet in the Phoenician alphabet, and Theta; its source would be P47, a cane basket with a handle, sometimes with elaborate cross-hatching, but more often with no weaving indicated; the AB form has omitted the handle and simplified the wickerwork; the corresponding Egyptian hieroglyph (V31) of a wickerwork basket with a handle is viewed from the side; it represents k, but the reason is unknown; Kaptarian KA can readily be connected with Greek kaneon, “cane basket”. The Alashian KA (CA9) started as the encircled cross but the lower part of the circle was pruned.
KE (P36, AB44, CA19, CC107 105, C KE) is a structure, possibly a booth or a shrine, or a stage for actors, skênê (initial s in a consonant cluster would not be represented in this writing system); the disc above it may be the sun, suggesting skias, a shady covering, “pavilion”.
KI (P57, AB67, CC70, C KI) is obviously a stringed musical instrument (though it came to look like a drinking vessel), and thus kithara, “lyre”,
KO (P62, AB70, CA10, CC21, C KO) flat-headed nail, gomphos, equivalent to alphabetic Waw.
KU (P18, AB81, CC110, C KU) looks like a bird in flight (in its AB form), but on closer examination it must be the head of a dog in profile, with an eye and a protruding tongue (P18); the Greek word for “dog” is kuôn. The Cyprian form is on its side, with the tongue pointing upwards.
KRA (P82, AB34, A308?) represents an eye with its pupil, Greek glênê.
KRO (P63 64, A326? 329? B35) depicts a cord wound on a stick (the origin of Q in the alphabet, from qaw, a line); the stick was eventually bent to make B35 (KRO) look like B34 (KRA), but they have opposite forms; they are usually regarded as unidentified.
LA (CC87, from A60 RA).
LE (CC76, a new creation; C LE resembles 8).
LI (CC 9, from A53 RI).
LO (CC5, from A2 RO).
LU (CC 24, a new formation).
MA (AB80, CC43, 49, 52, 53, C MA) is undoubtedly a cat (as also PD29) and the MA might be the sound of its mewing (mao); ME, MI, and MU apparently have a similar origin in animal vocalisation); but there are not many cat-glyphs in the pictophonic inventory (*P97); possibly the ma-syllable was first represented by a breast-glyph (P34a, see also PE, P34b), mastos or malon (Doric).
ME (P16, AB13, CC35, C ME) the head of a sheep with horns; perhaps mêlon “sheep” (or sometimes goat), or mêkas (mêkaomai,“bleat”, of sheep or goat), as MA (cat), MI (bird), MU (cow) are apparently derived from animal sounds. The P16 collection of goats and sheep may include AI and QI.
MI (P13b, AB73, CC91 89 90, C MI) is a bird with its beak open and vocalising, evoking minurisma, “warbling”; note that the P13 collection includes some animal heads, notably pig (P13a, P17, AB85, AU) and some bovines (P13c, P14).
MO (P68, A321?, B15, CC73, C MO) is enigmatic; P68 might be a variant of TE (tree), but it could be a spine with ribs, like the Egyptian djed column, symbolizing “stability”, and this would match Greek monimos, “stable, steadfast”; the Cyprian forms support this view.
MU (P12, AB23, CA5. CC55, 39, 42, 54, C MU) is a bovine head in profile, with horn and ear, and suggests mukêma, “bellowing”; the Cyprian forms seem to have moved to a frontal view; see QO.
NA (P78, AB6, CA4, CC8, C NA) represents an eye with a flow (nama) of tears (Sophocles: dakruôn therma nama); the Phaistos Disc equivalent (PD3) has a man’s head with two tears on his cheek, and it also appears on PH Wc 45.
NE (P52, AB24, CA20, CC2, 18, 34, 56, C NE) is a libation vessel with handle and spout; possibly from nektar, the drink of the gods; on KH 53 it stands beside the BEER mug with strainer.
NI (P24, AB30, CA16, CC99, 100, 65, C NI) a fig tree, Cretan Greek nikuleon, “fig”.
NO (P8, A28b, (A)B52, CC17, C NO) is an upraised hand, showing fingers and thumb, and this is clear enough in the Linear B forms; but Linear A NO and I have been catalogued together in slot 28; they may now be distinguished as AB52 and AB28 respectively; the acrophonic origin may be in nomos, “law”, specifically kheirôn nomos, “law of force” (kheir, “hand”, hence the hand-sign for NO).
NU (P9, AB55, CA12, CC68, 103, C NU) is a pair of vertical lines joined at the halfway point by a pair of horizontal bars, but also found with curved strokes; it seems to be derived from a hand pictogram (P9) with thumb but no fingers shown, and having two horizontal lines at the base, and so it looks like a mitten (cp. PD8); another example (P83) is closer to the stylized forms of AB55.
NWA (P6, B48) two hands.
NAU? (AB36).
PA (P40, AB3, CC6, C PA) is possibly P40, a ship with its rigging (baris, “an Egyptian boat”?) but it is reduced to a mast with two horizontal strokes.
PE (P34b? A305, B72, CC11, C PE) appears to be a fetter (cp. PD14), Greek pedê; but its features are lost in transition.
PI (P20 21 22 79 90, AB39, CC51, 52, C PI) is a bee (Indo-European *bhi, Latin apis); also PD34.
PO (P43, AB11, CC12, 14, C PO) is certainly an ax (cp. A as a double ax, and PD15); pelekus is a word for “ax” that may or may not be relevant here; likewise bolis, “missile”.
PU (P49, AB50, CC61, 23, C PU) is a stringed musical instrument; possibly phormingx, a seven-stringed lyre; or burtê, a rare synonym for lyra,“lyre” (Hesukhios). The Cyprian sign may be a development of AB29; see PHU.
PHU/BU (P30? AB29) from phulia, “wild olive’?
PTE (P168? B62) pteruks, “wing”?
QA (P44, AB16) could be a sauce boat, end view, with the two handles protruding.
QE (P73 74 75, AB78) a circular object, either a ring or a circle with one or more dots, suggesting a ring, a shield, a pancake (cp. Luwian glyph 181 PANIS), and it may have a connection with kyklos (kwekwlo) “circle”, with extended meanings such as ring and shield.
QI (AB21) apparently a goat; cp. AI and ME, and also PD30.
QO (P11, B32, A345?) frontal view of a bovine head (cp. MU, profile), from bous (gwou), “ox, bull. cow”.
QU (not attested?).
RA (P7, AB60, CA1, CC87, 88, C LA) a human arm, with the forearm and hand horizontal; Greek brakhiôn means “arm”, but the initial b might block this as supplying acrophonic RA.
RE (P23, AB27, CC33, C RE) a lily (leirion); neither Cyprian LE nor RE looks like the AB sign.
RI (P10, AB53, CC9, C LI) a human leg (cp. PD28, an animal leg).
RO (P70, AB2, CA7, CC5, C LO) is a cross; A2 is usually +, but B2 has the centre line elongated at both ends; P70 is the corresponding pictograph; the acrophonic source could be rhombos, something that can twirl, such as a spinning top; B68 (RO2, ryo) could be the same thing.
RU (P92, AB26) is a lampstand (lukhnia) with two branches. In the Cyprus syllabary, RU (CA 11, CC 28) has an umbrella shape (rather than an umbrella blown inside out, in the Cretan form); Cyprian LU (CC24) is similar, but apparently a new creation.
RAI (B76)
RYA (P69, P71, A314, AB76) apparently a flowing stream, rheô (“flow”).
RYO (B68) see RO.
SA (P19, AB31, CA3, CC82, 57, 16, 48, C SA) is a squid, a cuttle-fish (sêpia).
SE (P26, P3?, AB9, CA14, CC44,45, C SE) a plant, perhaps parsley (selinon), used for a victor’s crown in games (see P3, where it is on a human head).
SI (P55, AB41, CC27 58, C SI) a tripod vessel containing a stalk of wheat (sitos).
SO (P46. P80, P87, A301, A324, AB12, CC67, 60, C SO) has long remained unrecognized, but the adz of the craftsman is detectable; sophia means skill in arts and crafts, as well as wisdom. The Cyprus sign apparently has the tool turned on its side.
SU (P35. AB5) appears to be a pig-sty (supheos). For Cyprian SU, see DU.
SWA? (B82)
SWE? (AB49)
SWI? (B64)
TA (P56, AB59) is a writing tablet; Greek tabella and tablion are perhaps too late, but trapeza might suffice. For Cyprian TA, see DA.
TE (P25, AB4, CA13, CC7 62, C TE) is a tree (as perhaps in terebinthos, turpentine-tree, or possibly connected to dendron), originally with branches reaching upwards, but eventually outwards (like a telegraph pole).
TI (P49, P93, AB37, CA15, CC23, C TI) is a pointed instrument, conjuring up the stig root (stigeus, “brander”, stigma,“puncture mark”, stizô, “prick” or “brand”).
TO (P48, AB5, CC13 78, C TO) is a bow (toxon) with an arrow, but the curve was straightened, and the string was reduced to a small stroke (cp. PD11, a bow with no arrow).
TU (P77, AB69, CC26 30 31 32, C TU) is a depiction of hanging fruit, ripe and ready for gathering (trugê); the verb trugaô means “gather in ripe fruits” (including grapes and grains); but a better acrophonic source might be found.
TWE (B87)
TWO (B91)
TYA (P84? AB66)
[1] P: Olivier and Godet 1996 (Corpus): 17, 19, 386-429.
Colless: https://sites.google.com/site/collesseum/cretanscripts
[2] PD: Evans 1909: 22-28, 273-293, 276 (table of signs); Duhoux 1977; Fischer 1988; Faucounau 1999: 10 (table), 65-105 (signs). Colless: https://sites.google.com/site/collesseum/phaistosscript
[3] LA: Godart and Olivier 1976-1985 (Recueil) Vol. 5, XXII –LVII.
Colless: https://sites.google.com/site/collesseum/cretansigns
[4] LB: Ventris and Chadwick 1973 (Documents): 41, 385.
[5] AB: Godart and Olivier 1976-1985 (Recueil) Vol. 5, XXII.
[6] CA: Emilia Masson’s numbering is revised for citation purposes in Olivier 2007: 412 (Nos 1-21).
[7] CC: E. Masson1974: 12-15, Figures 2-4; Olivier 2007: 413-415; Ferrara 2012: 255:Table 5:10, “A tentative standardized signs repertoire”; both Olivier and Ferrara have arbitrarily reduced the number of signs on their tables; but until we know the sound-value of every sign and can dispense with numbering, Masson’s full set of numbers must remain in use.
Colless, tables and charts: https://sites.google.com/site/collesseum/cyprusscripts
[8] LC: O. Masson 1983: Figures 1-6.
NORTHERN CRETAN SYLLABOGRAMS
A AB8 P42 (ax) [axinê]
AI B43 A306 [aix goat?] (cp ME and QI?) (#016 AI-TA-TI?)
AU AB85 P17 P13b (pig) [hus?] (autoboulos, self-willed, pig-headed?!)
HA B25 (cp Phaistos 10, arrow?) A368?
E AB38 P28 (hair, crest) [etheira]
I AB28 P31 (olive) [hiketeria elaia suppliant olive branch]
O AB61 P5 (eye) [ops, omma, oculus]
U AB10 P95 (hedgehog) [hustrix]
YA AB57 P38 (door) [Latin ianua, Sanskrit yâ go]
YE AB46 P4? (walking) [ienai going, Sanskrit yâ go]
YI AB47?
YO B36 A349 P54 (amphora)
YU AB65?
WA AB54 P41 (cloth)
WE B75 A319 P61 (worm) [werm]
WI AB40 P85?
WO B42/AB180? A363? A364? P2? (razor)
WU
RA AB60 P7 (arm) [labôn taking with the hand??]
RYA B76 P69? (water-course) (cp reô flow, roê stream?)
RAI B33 (same as saffron logogram)
RE AB27 P23 (lily) [leirion]
RI AB53 P10 (leg)
RO AB2 P70 (cross) [rhombos?]
RYO AB68 P40 (ship? spinning top?) [rhombos?]
RU AB26 P92 (lamp) [lukhnia menorah]
MA AB80 (cat) P34 (breasts?) [masta, mala breasts] replaced by P97 (cat) [ma, meow]?
ME AB13 P16 (sheep) [mêlon, mêkas bleating]
MI AB73 P13a? (bird-head?) [minurisma bird-warbling] (or P7 [arm] is not RA?)
MO B15 A321 A327 (cp Cyprian MO, and Egyptian djed) P68 (spine?) [monimos stable]
MU AB23 P12 (cow) [mukaomai, mukêma, moo-cow bellowing]
NA AB6 P78 (tearflow) [nama] (dakruôn therma nama Sophokles)
NWA B48 P6 (crossed arms) (neozeuktos newly-yoked, newly-wed?!)
NE AB24 P52 + P53 (libation vessel) [nektar divine drink]
NI AB30 P24 (fig) [nikuleon] (a Cretan word)
NO B52 A28b P8 (hand) [nomos law] (kheirôn nomos law of force)
NU AB55 P9 +83? (glove?)
PA AB3 P40? (ship) [baris Egyptian boat]
PE B72 A305? P34b? (fetter) [pedê]
PI AB39 P20 21 22 79 90 (bee)
PO AB11 P43 (ax) [pelekus?]
PU AB50 A369? P58 (lyre) [burtê]
TA AB59 P56 (tablet) [trapeza, tabula]
TE AB4 P25 (tree) [tere-, as in terebinthos]
TI AB37 P49 +93 (brander) [stigeus puncturing tool]
TO AB5 P48 (bow and arrow) [toxon]
TU B69 P77 (fruit)
DA AB1 P27, 29 (twig) [thalos]
DE AB45 P37, 94? (house/tomb) [demein build; thêkê container, grave]
DI AB7 P39? (= B64?) (netting?) [diktuon]
DO B14 A304? P50 (spear?) [doru]
DU AB51 P59 +60? (crook) [dunastês power-wielder]
KA AB77 P47 (cane basket) [kaneon]
KE AB44 P36 (pavilion) [skênê]
KI AB67 P57 (lyre) [kithara]
KO AB70 P62 P51 (nail) [gomphos, wedge-shaped nail]
KU AB81 P18 (dog) [kuôn]
QA AB16 P44 (bolt-pin for bar of gate? or key?) [balanos, balanagra key]?
QE AB78 P73-75 (circular object) [kuklos, kwekwlo]
QI AB21 P14? P54b? (animal?)
QO B32 B18? A333? A345? A347? P11 (bull) [bous, gwou]
QU
SA AB31 P19 (cuttlefish, kalamari) [sêpia]
SE AB9 P26 +3? (parsley, for victor's crown) [selinon]
SI AB41 P55 (grain in container) [sitos]
SO B12 A301? P46 +80 +87 (adz) [sophia craftsmanship? skeparnon adz?]
SU AB58 P35 (enclosure) [supheos pig-sty]
ZA AB17 B19? (Egyptian `ankh symbol, life) [zaein, zôê]
ZE AB74 P45 (saw? comb?) [xainô comb, card; xeô plane, carve)
ZI
ZO AB20 A312? P51? P85 (WI)? (chisel? sword?) [xois sculptor's chisel] P51=LA36
ZU AB79? P81? (sun with rays?)
RYA B76 P69? P69
RYO B68 P40
NWA B48 006 P6 P6
NAU B86? P40? P40
PA3 B56 P39
PU2 B29 P30? P32?
TYA B66 P84, P72?
KRA B34 P82 [glênê eyeball, pupil]
KRO B35 P63 P64 [klôstêr thread, line]
SWI? B64 P39? DI?
NORTHERN CRETAN PICTO-SYLLABOGRAMS
CHIC Brian Colless (John Younger)
001 seated human
002 head? (razor? WO cp P88?)
003 head +026 SE (= 026)?
004 upright human YE? DWE?
005 eye O (Rv)
006 *X* 2 arms NWA (NWA)
007 bent arm RA/LA (MI) [MI 013? 057?]
008 hand NO (A3)
009 glove? NU 009 +083? (A2)
010 leg RI (RI)
011 bovine head (front) QO (SI2) [11-16 mixed animals]
012 bovine head (side) MU (MU)
013 animal snout? (mixed?) MI (MU2) [some 013? +015?]
014 animal head QI? (I)
015 animal snout (1x) MI? +013? (DU?)
016 horned head ME (KI2)
017 pig head AU (AU)
018 dog head + tongue KU (RA)
019 cuttlefish, sepia SA (SA)
020 bee PI (AI) [PI 020-022 +033? 079? 090?]
021 bee PI (PI)
022 bee PI
023 lily flower? RE/LE (TO)
024 fig tree? NI (NI)
025 tree? TE (TE)
026 _(_(_(_( SE [SE 026 +003?]
027 |/ (3x) DA? (= 029?)
028 hair crest E (KU2)
029 double twig DA (MA) [DA 27 + 29?]
030 \}/ (1x) DA? PU2 (phu)? (PU2)
031 \|/ I 031? +032? (RE)
032 \!/ (9x) PU2 (phu)? (RE2)
033 }.{ (3x) ZU? +81
034 fetters? breasts? PE +ME? (TA)
035 pig-pen? SU (SU)
036 pavilion KE (SA2)
037 house/tomb DE 037 + 094? (Rv) [cp PhDisc 24]
038 door + post YA (JA)
039 netting/trellis DI (PA3) DI 039? (=LinB64?)
040 ship PA (RO2)
041 cloth? WA (WA)
042 double ax A (A)
043 ax PO (SO)
044 metal object QA (KO)
045 saw ZE (ZE)
046 adz SO 046 + 080 + 087 ( )
047 cane basket KA (QE)
048 bow & arrow TO [1x] ( )
049 /|\ TI (RO3) TI 049 + 093?
050 spear? DO? (TI)
051 dagger? chisel? ZO? (KI3)
052 ewer NE (NE)
053 jug NE (KI?)
054 amphora (2 rams?) YO? (DE) YO? +MA? +QI?
055 grain vessel? SI (KE)
056 talent? tablet? TA (KU)
057 V+ kithara KI (KI)
058 lyre PU (PU)
059 crook DU DU 059 +060?
060 |\ DU?
061 snake? worm? WE or = RI 010?
062 ___. <o KO (NA)
063 _._ KRO?
064 --o-- KRO? (DA)
065 .__. ?
066 || PA?
067 *||* HA?
068 spine? MO (Rv)
069 ZZ RYA?
070 cross + x RO (RO)
071 }}} RYA?
072 triangle TYA?? (KA)
073 circle QE 073? +74 +75
075 circle (dotted) QE 075 (1x) + 074 (1x)
076 ? YU?
077 fruit TU (RU2) MA? ME? NI?
078 eye and tear-flow? NA (DO)
079 bee? PI? (= 020)
080 adz SO (= 046)
081 (1x) ZU?
082 eyeball? KRA?
083 (=009?) (1x) NU?
084 TYA? TWO?
085 /+\ WI? (WI)
086 QO? (= 068?)
087 adz SO (= 046)
088 [razor? WO? RI =002?
089 X YE? PE? RI?
090 bee? PI? (= 020)
091 ^^^ ?
092 lamp? RU (RU)
093 /|\ TI (= 049) (TI)
094 /=\ DE? (= 037)
(097) (cat) MA? (MA)
What you see here is a host of hypotheses struggling to become a grand unified theory.
This is a revised and expanded version of my release entitled "Table of Cretan pictoglyphs" (28 July 2003), providing a description or drawing of the characters, and an attempt to match them with their counterparts in the Linear B inventory.
The prefix 'P' stands for 'pictosyllabogram' (or 'pictophonogram'), with the CHIC numbering.
The formatting may collapse and wreck the columns, but in each case my proposed identifications will be easy to find.
I would have sent it in an attached MSWord document, from my trusty Macintosh, but many people are suffering a surfeit of worms and afraid of opening such a possible can of worms. By the way, there is perhaps a worm lurking in there (P61 WE, weurm?).
This document needs to be studied in conjunction with:
the table of standardised signs provided by Godart and Olivier (CHIC p. 17);
and their detailed inventory of syllabograms (CHIC p. 386-422).
There are numerous uncertainties (indicated by my question marks) and some
missing syllables (ZA [AB17], Egyptian 'ankh sign, 'life', is in LA and LB,
but not in the CHIC collection; YE [AB46] seems to have been two legs walking, but P89 might be the original).
Some of my suggestions will be erroneous. The method involves trial and error in matching up the forms taken on by the stylized versions of the pictographs in the scripts of Crete and Cyprus. My previous experience is in the scripts of Canaan, tracing the pictographs of the syllabary and the proto-alphabet through their various stages of 'deformation'. But there I am able to test my hypotheses on inscriptions in a *known* Semitic language (Canaanite, Phoenician, Hebrew). With Cretan texts (pictosyllabic and Linear A) we are still not sure about the language or languages we are playing with. And if the style of encoding PG and LA inscriptions is as shorthand-ish as in the LB Mycenean texts, then we are in deep trouble.
John Younger's method for determining phonetic values for pictographs is double-edged: seeking "morphological and/or functional similarities with Linear A signs". He leans more on the 'functional' side, looking for similar patterns and combinations in PG and LA texts, but he begins with the core of form-resemblances proposed by Jean-Pierre Olivier and Louis Godart (CHIC p. 19).
For my part, my grandiose aim is to do a complete matching of signs over all the systems, so that there are no pieces left lying on the desk when I have finished the puzzle! However, not all the pictographs have found their perfect match on the scheme I have presented above.
I usually attempt to find an acrophonic origin (in 'Asio-European' or 'Euro-Asiatic' = IE) for each syllabogram (PI bee, TE tree, A ax, O ops, TO toxon, KA kaneion, KU kuon, RE leirion, NI nikuleon, DA thalos; YA invokes yanua 'door', and SU suggests supheos 'pig-sty', and SA is sepia 'cuttlefish').
John Younger feels that not all the syllabograms are acrophonic. When I first started proposing ideas in this field, I was struck by the animal sounds of some LB M-characters (MA cat, ME sheep, MU cow), and John has also noticed this (11/01/2002).
PG013 is a menagerie of different animals, but among them are some beaks and snouts which might be the origin of MI (LAB73), which seems to have a beak or bill and an eye, rather than a bent arm with a hand (PG007 = LAB60 RA?). There are a few beasts hiding among the pots in P54, and maybe some pigs (like LB85) hiding among the fauna of P11-17.
My equating of KU with the dog still stands; I continue maintaining that the supposed bird of LA and LB KU (AB81) is an illusion, and also that attempts to find KU-RO ('sum total') in the pictographic texts may be based on a wrong assumption that the language (or at least the accountancy jargon) is the same as in the LA texts. And any pictograph suggested for KU ought to be able to take wings and fly, like LAB81; but PG056 (a wax tablet?) has no curving lines.
On the other hand, it may be that even if the Linear B characters are ultimately derived from the pictographs, nevertheless the Myceneans ignored their original sound values and arbitrarily assigned new syllabic values to the characters. If this proves to be the truth, then my two tables will need to be interpreted in that light. Thus, the door-sign is certainly YA in Linear B, but not in its original pictographic usage. This would mean that our hopes of determining the phonetic values of most or all of the pictosyllabograms would be well and truly dashed.
I have decided to let the cat right out of the bag at this time (is the cat in the pictographic texts MA ?!). Notice that I have added P97 (cat) to the list of pictosyllabograms, because the cat is certainly depicted on the seals, but it is allegedly only decorative or heraldic. If it is in fact MA, its few occurrences do not equate with the 2.9% for Linear A MA (apparently a cat). So, like the KU-bird, the MA-cat may be an illusionary chimera, fashioned out of the fruit (P77: malon/melon/malum) or the pot with two lugs/ears (P54).
May I draw your attention to KE (036 pavilion), DE (037 house), YA (038 door), SO (047 adz), KRA (082 eyeball), KRO (063/064 cord on stick), which are novel.
Speaking of pots and novels, have you redd the latest pottery books? One magical series tells you how a *harried *Azkaban prisoner can make a *secret chamber pot with a *goblet of fire, a *philosopher's gall stone, and the *ordure of a phoenix?
We cryptologists are trained to detect such hidden messages. And you can treat the whole of this posting on a par with that if you feel the need.
Ever so sincerely
Brian Colless