DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1793#0017
THE MINOAN LINEAR SIGNARY 9
AB14 [] A 6, B 5, S 5, PC 74, Hr 51
Frequent in A and in B, in all positions, with little variation, but in A some variants may be
confused with £: on A 14, however, both signs are distinct (PM I. 625, fig. 462-3). Compare the
Hieroglyphic sign SM I. 227, no. 129. Sundwall (1920. 2) compares Eg. n ^>r='house'. Occasion-
ally in B this sign occurs alone with numeral (613, 614, 624) and with the 'woman' sign ^, and on
610-13, 624, 627 the sign [■' is written above [J1 or [J". On 1231 the ligature [[]}*] is probably a
corrected mistake.
AB15 i A 75, B 38, S 59, PC 21
Very rare and irregular in A; and frequent in B. ,The variant d may be confused with *f as on 983.
It occurs in all positions: on 867. 3 it should be a commodity sign. It resembles Cypr. c\=po: in
^j on 895 before a horse's head with numeral " a word like Gk. rrcokco 'pair of horses' has been sus-
pected; but J was a common terminal for men's names, and ^| recurs on 771, 1171 unconnected with
horses, and probably as a personal name; and also as prefix 865.4, 899. J (see Vocab.), and suffix? 1417.
The group tyf (HT 122 b 6; a 'grand total') recurs as a personal name on 1516. 4, 1517. 12.
Cf. 983. J.
AB 16 C N 0 A 5, B 4, S 47, PC 69, Hr 61
Rare both in A and in B in sign-groups (SM III A 16. i\ HT 15. J; B 328, 847, 1239, 1253) and
alone with numerals (A 51 a 2; B without bar 597, 777, 820). The crescent moon is a Pictographic sign
(SM I. 222, no. in) and recalls Eg. a, ah, ich, 'moon' or 'month' (Sundwall, 1920, no. 11) with points
downward. It might therefore represent 'months'; but not as a commodity.
Pictorial variants a (1253), b (1239), c (777, cf. 328), d (235, 820, 847; cf. SM III A 16, 41, 67, 74);
e (A 54 a 2 followed by four points) are probably personal attempts at a rare sign: AE thought the
complete form might still be ideographic.
AB17 a( bP A 11, S 10, PC 89
This variable group of signs is frequent and always oblique in A. but upright and very rare in B:
it may be miswritten (822, 836, 839): and never occurs alone with a numeral. Similar signs are among
the masons' marks at Knossos and at Phaestos; ligatured and not easy to distinguish from the 'trident'
sign (SM I. 228, no. 132).
AB 18-20 HHHHHNBI PC Z'25. 32, Hr 3,I6°o
The whole class of signs bounded by vertical strokes was liable to confusion by careless writing.
Certainly the four-barred 'gate' sign g which has a Pictographic original (SM I. 199, no. 44 c, h) is
distinct from the two-barred abbreviation of the pictorial {^ of quite different construction and origin.
AE also thought that the three-barred and one-barred signs ^ \\ were of distinct origin (SM I. 199,
no. 45), and that on HT 93 a 8 it had an oblique bar like a farm-gate.
346.1
AB14 [] A 6, B 5, S 5, PC 74, Hr 51
Frequent in A and in B, in all positions, with little variation, but in A some variants may be
confused with £: on A 14, however, both signs are distinct (PM I. 625, fig. 462-3). Compare the
Hieroglyphic sign SM I. 227, no. 129. Sundwall (1920. 2) compares Eg. n ^>r='house'. Occasion-
ally in B this sign occurs alone with numeral (613, 614, 624) and with the 'woman' sign ^, and on
610-13, 624, 627 the sign [■' is written above [J1 or [J". On 1231 the ligature [[]}*] is probably a
corrected mistake.
AB15 i A 75, B 38, S 59, PC 21
Very rare and irregular in A; and frequent in B. ,The variant d may be confused with *f as on 983.
It occurs in all positions: on 867. 3 it should be a commodity sign. It resembles Cypr. c\=po: in
^j on 895 before a horse's head with numeral " a word like Gk. rrcokco 'pair of horses' has been sus-
pected; but J was a common terminal for men's names, and ^| recurs on 771, 1171 unconnected with
horses, and probably as a personal name; and also as prefix 865.4, 899. J (see Vocab.), and suffix? 1417.
The group tyf (HT 122 b 6; a 'grand total') recurs as a personal name on 1516. 4, 1517. 12.
Cf. 983. J.
AB 16 C N 0 A 5, B 4, S 47, PC 69, Hr 61
Rare both in A and in B in sign-groups (SM III A 16. i\ HT 15. J; B 328, 847, 1239, 1253) and
alone with numerals (A 51 a 2; B without bar 597, 777, 820). The crescent moon is a Pictographic sign
(SM I. 222, no. in) and recalls Eg. a, ah, ich, 'moon' or 'month' (Sundwall, 1920, no. 11) with points
downward. It might therefore represent 'months'; but not as a commodity.
Pictorial variants a (1253), b (1239), c (777, cf. 328), d (235, 820, 847; cf. SM III A 16, 41, 67, 74);
e (A 54 a 2 followed by four points) are probably personal attempts at a rare sign: AE thought the
complete form might still be ideographic.
AB17 a( bP A 11, S 10, PC 89
This variable group of signs is frequent and always oblique in A. but upright and very rare in B:
it may be miswritten (822, 836, 839): and never occurs alone with a numeral. Similar signs are among
the masons' marks at Knossos and at Phaestos; ligatured and not easy to distinguish from the 'trident'
sign (SM I. 228, no. 132).
AB 18-20 HHHHHNBI PC Z'25. 32, Hr 3,I6°o
The whole class of signs bounded by vertical strokes was liable to confusion by careless writing.
Certainly the four-barred 'gate' sign g which has a Pictographic original (SM I. 199, no. 44 c, h) is
distinct from the two-barred abbreviation of the pictorial {^ of quite different construction and origin.
AE also thought that the three-barred and one-barred signs ^ \\ were of distinct origin (SM I. 199,
no. 45), and that on HT 93 a 8 it had an oblique bar like a farm-gate.
346.1