DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1793#0014
THE MINOAN LINEAR SIGNARY
SIGNS COMMON TO SCRIPT A AND SCRIPT B
Rectilinear Signs
AB1 I" A 33, B 58, S 21, PC 30, Hr 85
In sign-groups, in all positions. In A the side-stroke is obliquely upwards. It recurs on the Cypro-
Mycenaean clay-balls C 4, 5, and on the clay ram from Amisus (PM IV. 768-9, fig. 749-50). It is
identical with Cypro-Mycenaean and Cypriote \=ta. Sundwall (1920, no. 51) compared Eg. mdi,
mdd 'papyrus-roll' and htp 'sacrifice', but these have the side-stroke upwards _i_.
It occurs also alone, followed by a numeral (6257,311,432,835-8,1522.1-5); sometimes associated
with [J written below it with other numerals, on tablets 611-13, 624-5, 627-8, referring to women:
occasionally also with ^ (310), ^, and a hand sign; and with ingots (246-9) and adze-blades (495-
500): on 500 it has numeral 12. The reversed sign -j was associated by AE with the 'balance' and it was
suggested that this is a sign of weight, like t for raXavrov in Attic treasure-lists, and that normal f-
may indicate a 'drachma'.
AB 2 \ \ + A 19, B 25, S 7, PC 22, Hr 37
In sign-groups, in all positions: the disconnected cross-stroke -f- results as in ^ and g from rapid
writing. It occurs on Cypr.-Myc. clay-ball C 1 (BM Exc. Cypr. 27, no. 765) and is identical with
Cypr. -j- (= lo), and with Eg. imi \. Sundwall (1920, no. 48) compares Eg. in sbn ■=^J"7 = 'various',
'mixed', 'different'. On a chariot tablet (259) -j- stands alone between 'horse-head' and 'cuirass'
signs: on 268, 271, &c, with a numeral (cf. HT no b j); on 271, between a 'saffron flower' and
numeral '. On 1055. 9 in a total formula —|—J^ follows ^f; cf. —|—|^—|— on 1070. On 280. 5, 11, 12,
13 it follows \$$f and seems to qualify it.
A cross, resembling type b, occurs as sole countersign on seal-impressions from the 'West Temple
Sanctuary' at Knossos, where a flat marble cross (PM I. 517; IV. 94) seems to have been a cult-
object. The sign -j- therefore may have been in origin a religious symbol, for 'star' or 'sun' (cf. SM
I. 222, no. 112).
AB3
X
A 19
In the Hieroglyphic Script X (or -f") marks the beginning of a sign-group (SM I, P 23-116).
In A it only occurs in yX'lV on HT 17. 2; 19. 2; cf. 9a. 1. In B, alone at the end of an entry, re-
placing a commodity sign, ^ signifies 'zero' (1097-1100); but a variant occurs before the 'live-stock'
sign ^ on 1064-67, 1070-7, 1320, 1399. 1, and before ^ on 727. 2.
AB4 $ A 13, B 44, S 13, PC 2, Hr 44
In sign-groups, in all positions, and alone before numerals; also surcharged on the 'banner' sign Q
(cf. ^) on 523, 525-7, 529, 533. It is identical with Cypr. \=pa, and occurs on the Cypr.-Myc. clay-
ball C 2. Early examples are on a graffito from Goulas (CP 9 [278], fig. 4.46) and on a clay label from
SIGNS COMMON TO SCRIPT A AND SCRIPT B
Rectilinear Signs
AB1 I" A 33, B 58, S 21, PC 30, Hr 85
In sign-groups, in all positions. In A the side-stroke is obliquely upwards. It recurs on the Cypro-
Mycenaean clay-balls C 4, 5, and on the clay ram from Amisus (PM IV. 768-9, fig. 749-50). It is
identical with Cypro-Mycenaean and Cypriote \=ta. Sundwall (1920, no. 51) compared Eg. mdi,
mdd 'papyrus-roll' and htp 'sacrifice', but these have the side-stroke upwards _i_.
It occurs also alone, followed by a numeral (6257,311,432,835-8,1522.1-5); sometimes associated
with [J written below it with other numerals, on tablets 611-13, 624-5, 627-8, referring to women:
occasionally also with ^ (310), ^, and a hand sign; and with ingots (246-9) and adze-blades (495-
500): on 500 it has numeral 12. The reversed sign -j was associated by AE with the 'balance' and it was
suggested that this is a sign of weight, like t for raXavrov in Attic treasure-lists, and that normal f-
may indicate a 'drachma'.
AB 2 \ \ + A 19, B 25, S 7, PC 22, Hr 37
In sign-groups, in all positions: the disconnected cross-stroke -f- results as in ^ and g from rapid
writing. It occurs on Cypr.-Myc. clay-ball C 1 (BM Exc. Cypr. 27, no. 765) and is identical with
Cypr. -j- (= lo), and with Eg. imi \. Sundwall (1920, no. 48) compares Eg. in sbn ■=^J"7 = 'various',
'mixed', 'different'. On a chariot tablet (259) -j- stands alone between 'horse-head' and 'cuirass'
signs: on 268, 271, &c, with a numeral (cf. HT no b j); on 271, between a 'saffron flower' and
numeral '. On 1055. 9 in a total formula —|—J^ follows ^f; cf. —|—|^—|— on 1070. On 280. 5, 11, 12,
13 it follows \$$f and seems to qualify it.
A cross, resembling type b, occurs as sole countersign on seal-impressions from the 'West Temple
Sanctuary' at Knossos, where a flat marble cross (PM I. 517; IV. 94) seems to have been a cult-
object. The sign -j- therefore may have been in origin a religious symbol, for 'star' or 'sun' (cf. SM
I. 222, no. 112).
AB3
X
A 19
In the Hieroglyphic Script X (or -f") marks the beginning of a sign-group (SM I, P 23-116).
In A it only occurs in yX'lV on HT 17. 2; 19. 2; cf. 9a. 1. In B, alone at the end of an entry, re-
placing a commodity sign, ^ signifies 'zero' (1097-1100); but a variant occurs before the 'live-stock'
sign ^ on 1064-67, 1070-7, 1320, 1399. 1, and before ^ on 727. 2.
AB4 $ A 13, B 44, S 13, PC 2, Hr 44
In sign-groups, in all positions, and alone before numerals; also surcharged on the 'banner' sign Q
(cf. ^) on 523, 525-7, 529, 533. It is identical with Cypr. \=pa, and occurs on the Cypr.-Myc. clay-
ball C 2. Early examples are on a graffito from Goulas (CP 9 [278], fig. 4.46) and on a clay label from