AB 54+04, Mycenaean te-pa, alphabetic Greek τήβεννα, Latin toga: semantic remarks and possible Near East parallels

Abstract

Abstract Fabrics referred to by Linear A ligature AB 54+04, Mycenaean te-pa, alphabetic Greek τήβεννα, and Latin toga are likely to indicate different objects. However, a contextual analysis of these terms highlights that they show considerable similarities, such as the raw material employed (wool) and the huge quantity of product used for their manufacture. Given that it is already well known that τήβεννα is the Greek word used to refer to Latin toga, this paper will present further arguments to extend such a comparison, but this time on semantic grounds, to Mycenaean te-pa and, possibly, also to AB 54+04. Moreover, it will be argued that Mycenaean te-pa could also find a possible parallel in an Eastern term referring to a fabric or a garment.