4 ms·

this results in the conclusion that Linear B is actually a version of a regional [script, not linguistic] dialect of Linear A that was used to write a different

by tremon 4y ago

this results in the conclusion that Linear B is actually a version of a regional [script, not linguistic] dialect of Linear A that was used to write a different language. I'm having trouble understanding this. To me this says that Linear A and Linear B are different scripts that express different [spoken] languages, but might share common heritage. Which sounds obvious to me, not groundbreaking, unless they've now identified the common source. Or are you saying that Linear A and Linear B might be the same script (as in phoneme->symbol encoding), but used to express a different language?

jamesfinlayson 4y ago
> Or are you saying that Linear A and Linear B might be the same script (as in phoneme->symbol encoding), but used to express a different language? That was my understanding but I didn't think that was a new hypothesis - I remember reading years ago that they were a very similar alphabet (for lack of a better word) and that linear B was just the locals using their alphabet to write ancient Greek. I believe something similar was done in Germany a few hundred years ago - the Bible was written in Hebrew script that encoded German words.
contingencies 4y ago
IMHO grandparent is saying Linear B is a different, yet related script that appears to be directly derived from a regional variant of Linear A. A script can be used to write arbitrary languages, and does not imply a fully identical mapping to phonemes when used for these different languages. Examples include use of the Arabic script[0] to write Uighur, Urdu, or Farsi. Generally an existing script is adopted for a new language through transliteration, often the addition of diacritics or new glyphs. Further examples would be Vietnamese or the numerous abugidas of Southeast Asia. When an existing script is used without adaptation by a speaker of another language attempting phonetic transliteration, it is generally very lossy.[2] This is why we have IPA, which is also lossy and not widely understood.[3] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_script https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_script [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abugida https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abugida [2] https://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2013/07/02/the-foreign-feel-of-a-chinese-transliteration https://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2013/07/02/the-fore... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabe...
- flurie 4y ago
  Now I'm imagining future archaeologists trying to figure out how modern Turkish relates to the other languages with a Latin script.

by tremon 4y ago

jamesfinlayson 4y ago

> Or are you saying that Linear A and Linear B might be the same script (as in phoneme->symbol encoding), but used to express a different language? That was my understanding but I didn't think that was a new hypothesis - I remember reading years ago that they were a very similar alphabet (for lack of a better word) and that linear B was just the locals using their alphabet to write ancient Greek. I believe something similar was done in Germany a few hundred years ago - the Bible was written in Hebrew script that encoded German words.

contingencies 4y ago

IMHO grandparent is saying Linear B is a different, yet related script that appears to be directly derived from a regional variant of Linear A. A script can be used to write arbitrary languages, and does not imply a fully identical mapping to phonemes when used for these different languages. Examples include use of the Arabic script[0] to write Uighur, Urdu, or Farsi. Generally an existing script is adopted for a new language through transliteration, often the addition of diacritics or new glyphs. Further examples would be Vietnamese or the numerous abugidas of Southeast Asia. When an existing script is used without adaptation by a speaker of another language attempting phonetic transliteration, it is generally very lossy.[2] This is why we have IPA, which is also lossy and not widely understood.[3] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_script https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_script [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abugida https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abugida [2] https://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2013/07/02/the-foreign-feel-of-a-chinese-transliteration https://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2013/07/02/the-fore... [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabe...

flurie 4y ago
Now I'm imagining future archaeologists trying to figure out how modern Turkish relates to the other languages with a Latin script.