Editing Linear A (section)

==Script==
Linear A consists of over 300 signs including regional variants and ones which occur only once. Among these, a core group of 90 occur with some frequency throughout the script's  geographic and chronological extent.<ref name = "SalgarellaOverview">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Linear A |encyclopedia=Oxford Classical Dictionary |year=2022 |last=Salgarella |first=Ester |editor-last1=Hornblower |editor-first1=Simon|editor-last2=Spawforth |editor-first2=Antony|editor-last3=Eidinow|editor-first3=Esther |publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.8927 |doi-broken-date=11 April 2025 |isbn=978-0-19-938113-5 |url=https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-8927 |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name="TomasHandbook">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Tomas|first=Helena|year=2012|title=Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A|editor-last=Cline|editor-first=Eric|encyclopedia=The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean |pages=113–125 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199873609.013.0026|isbn=978-0199873609}}</ref>

{{Image frame|width=130|content=[[File:LINEAR_A_SIGN_A559.svg|60px|class=skin-invert]]<br>[[File:LINEAR_A_SIGN_AB080.svg|60px|class=skin-invert]][[File:LINEAR_A_SIGN_AB026.svg|60px|class=skin-invert]]
|caption=The complex sign in the top row is formed out of the two on the bottom row.<ref name = "SalgarellaOverview"/><ref>{{cite web | title=HT 12 - A559 Logogram | website=SigLA | url=https://sigla.phis.me/document/HT%2012/index-12.html }}</ref>}}

As a [[logosyllabic]] writing system, Linear A includes signs which stand for [[syllables]] as well as others standing for words or concepts. Linear A's signs could be combined via [[Ligature (writing)|ligature]] to form complex signs. Complex signs usually behave as ideograms and most are [[hapax legomenon|hapax legomena]], occurring only once in the surviving corpus. Thus, Linear A signs are divided into four categories:<ref name = "SalgarellaOverview"/><ref name="TomasHandbook"/>
# syllabic signs
# ligatures and composite signs
# ideograms
# numerals and metrical signs

Linear A was usually written left-to-right, but a handful of documents were written right-to-left or [[boustrophedon]].<ref name = "SalgarellaOverview"/>

=== Signary ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Linear A: signary and numbering according to [[Emmett L. Bennett Jr.|Emmett Bennett]]<ref>Bennett, E. L. Jr., "Mycenaean Studies Proceedings of the Third  International Colloquium for Mycenaean Studies held at 'Wingspread', 4—8  September 1961", ed. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1964</ref>

|-

! colspan="2" | *01–*20

! colspan="2" | *21–*30

! colspan="2" | *31–*53

! colspan="2" | *54–*74

! colspan="2" | *76–*122

! colspan="2" | *123–*306

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A001.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*01''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A021.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*21''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A031.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*31''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A054.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*54''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A076.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*76''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A123.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*123''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A002.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*02''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A021f.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*21''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A034.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*34''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A055.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*55''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A077.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*77''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A131a.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*131a''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A003.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*03''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A021m.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*21''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A037.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*37''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A056.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*56''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A078.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*78''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A131b.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*131b''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A004.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*04''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A022.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*22''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A038.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*38''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A057.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*57''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A079.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*79''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A131c.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*131c''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A005.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*05''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A022f.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*22''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A039.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*39''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A058.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*58''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A080.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*80''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A164.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*164''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A006.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*06''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A022m.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*22''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A040.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*40''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A059.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*59''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A081.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*81''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A171.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*171''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A007.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*07''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A023.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*23''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A041.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*41''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A060.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*60''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A082.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*82''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A180.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*180''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A008.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*08''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A023m.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*23''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A044.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*44''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A061.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*61''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A085.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*85''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A188.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*188''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A009.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*09''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A024.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*24''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A045.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*45''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A065.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*65''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A086.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*86''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A191.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*191''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A010.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*10''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A026.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*26''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A046.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*46''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A066.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*66''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A087.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*87''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A301.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*301''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A011.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*11''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A027.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*27''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A047.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*47''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A067.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*67''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A100.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*100/<br/>*102''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A302.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*302''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A013.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*13''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A028.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*28''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A049.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*49''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A069.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*69''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A118.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*118''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A303.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*303''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A016.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*16''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A028b.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*28b''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A050.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*50''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A070.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*70''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A120.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*120''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A304.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*304''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A017.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*17''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A029.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*29''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A051.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*51''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A073.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*73''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A120b.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*120b''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A305.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*305''

|-

| [[File:Linear A Sign A020.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*20''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A030.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*30''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A053.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*53''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A074.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*74''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A122.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*122''

| [[File:Linear A Sign A306.svg|class=skin-invert]]

|
''*306''

|}

=== Special signs ===
Furthermore, the following ‘supplementary’ syllabograms for more complex syllables can be identified (where in some cases the exact pronunciation is or used to be unknown even for Linear B, hence the use of subscript numbers):
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="9" |'''Special signs'''
|-
!'''Character'''
|𐘒[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A022.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|𐙄[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A085.svg|class=skin-invert]] 
|𐘩 
|𐘰[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A056.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|𐘜 [[File:Linear_A_Sign_A029.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|𐘽 [[File:Linear_A_Sign_A123.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|𐘷 [[File:Linear_A_Sign_A066.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|𐙆[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A087.svg|class=skin-invert]] 
|-
!'''Transcription'''
|''pi<sub>2</sub>''
|''au''
|''nwa''
|''pa<sub>2</sub>''
|''pu<sub>2</sub>''
|''ra<sub>2</sub> (rya)''
|''ta<sub>2</sub> (tya)''
|''twe''
|-
!'''Bennett's number'''
|''*22''
|''*85''
|''*48''
|''*56''
|''*29''
|''*76''
|''*66''
|''*87''
|}

=== Ideograms ===
The following list contains some frequent ideograms/logograms whose meaning is known and uncontroversial and almost all of which are preserved in Linear B.<ref>Younger, John. Linear A. 11. Ideograms/Logograms. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210415092941/http://www.people.ku.edu/~jyounger/LinearA/ Archived from the original]</ref><ref>[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U10600.pdf Linear A. Range: 10600–1077F. The Unicode Standard, Version 15.1]</ref> The meaning of many others is debated. Note that some of the ideograms are also used as syllabograms; in such cases, the sound value is indicated in the table before the Bennett number.
{| class="wikitable"
!'''Glyph'''
!'''Code point'''
!'''Bennett'''
!'''Conventional Latin name'''
!'''meaning'''
|-
! colspan="5" |'''People and animals'''
|-
|𐙇[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A100.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10647
|*100/102
|'''VIR'''

''vir'' 
|person, man
|-
|𐘏[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A021.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1060F
|''QI''

<nowiki>*</nowiki>21
|'''OVIS'''

''ovis''
|sheep
|-
|𐘐[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A021f.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10610
|*21F
|'''OVIS'''<sup>f</sup>
|ewe
|-
|𐘑[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A021m.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10611
|*21M
|'''OVIS'''<sup>m</sup>
|ram
|-
|𐘒[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A022.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10612
|''PI<sub>2</sub>''

<nowiki>*</nowiki>22
|'''CAP'''

''capra''
|goat
|-
|𐘓[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A022f.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10613
|*22F
|'''CAP'''<sup>f</sup>
|she-goat
|-
|𐘔[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A022m.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10614
|*22M
|'''CAP'''<sup>m</sup>
|he-goat
|-
|𐙄[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A085.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10644
|''AU''

<nowiki>*</nowiki>85
|'''SUS'''

''sūs''
|pig
|-
|𐘕[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A023.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10615
|''MU''

<nowiki>*</nowiki>23
|'''BOS'''

''bōs''
|bovine
|-
|𐘖[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A023m.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10616
|*23M
|'''BOS'''<sup>m</sup>
|ox/bull
|-
! colspan="5" |'''Dry products'''
|-
|𐙉[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A120.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10649
|*120
|'''GRA'''

''grānum''
|wheat
|-
|𐙊[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A120b.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1064A
|*120B
|'''GRA'''

''grānum''
|wheat
|-
|𐙋[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A122.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1064B
|*122
|'''OLIV'''

''olīva''
|[[olive]]s
|-
|𐘝[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A030.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1061D
|''NI''

<nowiki>*</nowiki>30
|'''FIC'''

''fīcus''
|figs
|-
|𐙗[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A303.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10657
|*303
|'''CYP'''
|[[Cyperus papyrus|cyperus]]
|-
|𐘮[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A054.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1062E
|''WA''

<nowiki>*</nowiki>54
|'''TELA'''

''tēla''
|cloth
|-
! colspan="5" |'''Liquids'''
|-
|𐙖[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A302.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10095
|*302
|'''OLE'''

''ŏlĕum''
|[[oil]]
|-
|𐙍[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A131a.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1064D
|*131A
|'''VIN'''

''vīnum''
|wine
|-
|𐙎[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A131b.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1064E
|*131B
|'''VIN'''

''vīnum''
|wine
|-
|𐙏[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A131c.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+1064F
|*131C
|'''VIN'''

''vīnum''
|wine
|-
! colspan="5" |'''Vessels'''
|-
|𐚠
|U+106A0
|*400-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚡
|U+106A1
|*401-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚢
|U+106A2
|*402-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚣
|U+106A3
|*403-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚤
|U+106A4
|*404-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚥
|U+106A5
|*405-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚦
|U+106A6
|*406-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚧
|U+106A7
|*407-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚨
|U+106A8
|*408-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚩
|U+106A9
|*409-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚪
|U+106AA
|*410-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚫
|U+106AB
|*411-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚬
|U+106AC
|*412-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚭
|U+106AD
|*413-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚮
|U+106AE
|*414-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚯
|U+106AF
|*415-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚰
|U+106B0
|*416-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚱
|U+106B1
|*417-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
|𐚲
|U+106B2
|*418-VAS
|'''VAS'''

''vās''
|<nowiki>–</nowiki>
|-
! colspan="5" |'''Other'''
|-
|𐙔[[File:Linear_A_Sign_A191.svg|class=skin-invert]]
|U+10654
|*191
|'''GAL'''

''galea''
|helmet
|}