1. Writing systems Linguistics 484

2. Thomas Young Crucial contribution: recognition of alphabetic elements in the hieroglyphic script. Crucial non-contribution: stopped short of following through and recognizing native words.

3. Champollion: conclusion Some words e.g. ra = Sun are represented as semagrams. Most of the writing is phonetic. Some long words use the rebus idea. The language is definitely Coptic.

4. CNYRDTHS?TSVRHRDSNTT?

5. If there are few vowels, hard to read, motivates use of determinatives Direction of writing not fixed, animals always face the front of the sentence. Horapollo’s disastrous error in thinking hieroglyphics were semagrams

6. How languages change The same text four times over, in English over a period of about 1200 years

7. The Lord's Prayer in Old English Matthew 6:9-13 Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum Si þin nama gehalgod to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice Father our thou that art in heavens be thy name hallowed come thy kingdom be done thy will on earth as in heavens our daily bread give us today and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us and not lead thou us into temptation but deliver us from evil truly

8. Matthew 6.9 (Wycliffe's translation, c. 1380) Oure fadir that art in heuenes, halewid be thi name; thi kyndoom come to; be thi wille don in erthe as in heuene: gyue to us this dai oure breed ouer othir substaunce; and forgyue to us oure dettis, as we forgyuen to oure gettouris; and lede us not in to temptacioun, but delyuere us fro yuel.

9. Lord's Prayer Matthew 6:9-13 King James Version Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

10. Newer Version Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen

11. Chronology Linear B: c 1500 BCE Homeric Greek: c 800 BCE Classical Greek: c 400 BCE Koine Greek : 50-100 CE Modern Greek: now

12. Language change So, the amount of change in Greek is expected to be comparable with how English changed in similar time periods.

13. Key ideas in Linear B Syllabic writing Inflection Kober’s grid

14. Alice Kober If a language has inflection, certain signs are bound to appear over and over again in certain positions of the written words.

15. Inflection Argentina-Argentinian Canada-Canadian

16. Inflection Argentina-Argentinian Canada-Canadian Phylum-phyla

17. Bridging syllables Word AWord B Case 125-67-37-5770-52-41-57 Case 225-67-37-3670-52-41-36 Case 325-67-0570-52-12

18. Bridging syllables Where did the stem go in case 3? Answer: 41 and and 37 are bridging syllables with the same vowel but different consonants. Also, 37 and 05 must share the same consonant. 41 and 12 must share the same consonant

20. Ventris’s extra insights Don’t worry about final “s”,”n”,”m” If it is wrong, we’ll soon run into inconsistencies.

21. Cribs Town names Amnisos = a-mi-ni-so = 08-73-30-12 Knossos = ko-no-so =70-52-12 Tulissos = tu-li-so = 69-53-12

23. Conclusions Why is Linear-B so unsuited to Greek? Maybe it was the pressing into service of an older writing system for another language. If so, this language probably had open syllables almost exclusively. No word final “s”.