Seven Linear B Syllabograms of Conventionally Unknown Phonetic Value

Abstract

This paper presents seven syllabograms (signs used for Consonant-Vowel [CV] syllables) of the Linear B syllabary that are conventionally considered of unknown phonetic value. This presentation is conducted following the theory of the Cretan Protolinear syllabary as the one that all the Aegean syllabaries evolved from, namely Linear A, Cretan Hieroglyphics, Linear B, cognate to Cypro-Minoan and the Linear Cypriot Greek. It is demonstrated that the phonetic value of each syllabogram corresponds to the Eteocretan name (in a conservative dialect of Sumerian) of the concrete object depicted by each syllabogram. Thus, more light is shed on the linguistic ancestry of the Minoan scripts and the practice followed for their creation.