Editing Linear B (section)

=== Spelling and pronunciation ===
[[File:Tabrina micénica.jpg|thumb|The [[PY Ta 641|Tripod tablet]], discovered by [[Carl Blegen]] at the [[Palace of Nestor]], [[Pylos]] in 1952]]
The signs are approximations, since each may be used to represent a variety of about 70 distinct combinations of sounds within rules and conventions. The grid presents a system of [[syllable|monosyllabic]] signs of the type V/CV. Clarification of the 14 or so special values tested the limits of the grid model, but Chadwick eventually concluded that even with the ramifications, the syllabic signs can unexceptionally be considered monosyllabic.<ref>Ventris & Chadwick (1973), pages 385–391.</ref>

Possible exceptions, Chadwick goes on to explain, include the two [[diphthong]]s, {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁁}}&nbsp;(''ai'') and {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁂}}&nbsp;(''au''), as in {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁁𐀓𐀠𐀴𐀍}}, ''ai-ku-pi-ti-jo'', for ''Aiguptios'' ({{lang|grc|Αἰγύπτιος}}, "Egyptian") and {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁂𐀐𐀷}}, ''au-ke-wa'', for ''Augewās'' ({{lang|grc|Αὐγείας}} "[[Augeas]]").<ref group="note">Ventris and Chadwick use Roman characters for the reconstructed Mycenaean Greek and give the closest later literary word in Greek characters. Often the phonetics are the same, but equally as often the reconstructed words represent an earlier form. Here the classical Greek was formed by dropping the ''w'' and lengthening the ''e'' to ''ei''.</ref> However, a diphthong is by definition two vowels united into a single sound and therefore might be typed as just V. Thus {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁉}}&nbsp;(''rai''), as in {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐀁𐁉𐀺}},&nbsp;''e-rai-wo'', for ''elaiwon'' ({{lang|grc|ἔλαιον}}),<ref group="note">The ''w'' is dropped to form the classical Greek.</ref> is of the type CV. Diphthongs are otherwise treated as two monosyllables: {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐀀𐀫𐀄𐀨}}, ''a-ro-u-ra'', for ''arourans'' (accusative plural of {{lang|grc|ἄρουραι}}, "tamarisk trees"), of the types CV and V.<ref>Ventris and Chadwick (1973), page 43.</ref> Lengths of vowels and accents are not marked.

{{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁌}}&nbsp;(''Twe''), {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁍}}&nbsp;(''two''), {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁃}}&nbsp;(''dwe''), {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁄}}&nbsp;(''dwo''), {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁅}}&nbsp;(''nwa'') and the more doubtful {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁘}}&nbsp;(''swi'') and {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁚}}&nbsp;(''swa'') may be regarded as beginning with [[labialization|labialized]] consonants, rather than two consonants, even though they may alternate with a two-sign form: ''o-da-twe-ta'' and ''o-da-tu-we-ta'' for ''Odatwenta''; ''a-si-wi-jo'' and ''a-swi-jo'' for ''Aswios'' ({{lang|grc|Ἄσιος}}). Similarly, {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁈}}&nbsp;(''rya''), {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁊}}&nbsp;(''ryo'') and {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁋}}&nbsp;(''tya'') begin with [[palatalization (sound change)|palatalized]] consonants rather than two consonants: ''-ti-ri-ja'' for ''-trja'' (-{{lang|grc|τρια}}).

The one sign Chadwick tags as the exception to the [[Monosyllabic language|monosyllabic]] rule is {{Lang|gmy-Linb|𐁇}}&nbsp;(''pte''), but this he attributes to a development ''pte''<''*pje'' as in ''kleptei''<''*klep-jei''.

Linear B does not consistently distinguish between [[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]] and unvoiced [[stop consonant]]s or between [[aspirated consonant|aspirated]] and unaspirated stops, even though these distinctions are [[Phoneme|phonemic]] in [[Mycenaean Greek]]. (The exception is the [[dental consonant|dental series]], where syllables starting with the voiced dental stop are written differently from syllables starting with the voiceless unaspirated or voiceless aspirated dental stop.) For example,<ref>The examples in this section except where otherwise noted come from the ''Mycenaean Glossary'' of Ventris & Chadwick (1973).</ref> ''pa-te'' is ''patēr'' ({{lang|grc|πατήρ}}), ''pa-si'' is ''phāsi'' ({{lang|grc|φησί}}),<ref group="note">Classical words typically have the {{Lang|grc|η}} of the [[Ancient Greek dialects|Attic-Ionic dialect]] where Linear B represents the original {{lang|grc|α}}.</ref> ''ko-ru'' is ''korus'' ({{lang|grc|κόρυς}}, "helmet"), ''ka-ra-we'' is ''grāwes'' (plural of {{lang|grc|γρηύς}}), ''ko-no'' is ''skhoinos'' ("rope"), ''to-so'' is ''tosos'' ({{lang|grc|τόσος}} or {{lang|grc|τόσσος}}), ''to-ra-ke'' is ''thōrākes'' (plural of {{lang|grc|θώραξ}}, "breastplate"). The exceptional ''d''-series for voiced dentals is illustrated by ''do-ra'' for ''dōra'' (plural of {{lang|grc|δῶρον}}, "gift").

In some cases aspiration may be marked, but this is optional: ''pu-te'' for ''phutēr'' ("planter", from {{lang|grc|φυτεύω}}), but ''phu-te-re'' for ''phutēres'' ("planters"). Initial /h/ may be marked only when followed by ''a'', and only rarely: ''ha-te-ro'' for ''hateron'' (masculine {{lang|grc|ἅτερος}}),<ref name=VC388-391>Ventris & Chadwick (1973), pages 388–391.</ref> and yet ''a-ni-ja'' for ''hāniai'' ({{lang|grc|ἁνίαι}}).

The ''q''-series is used for syllables beginning with [[labialized velar consonant]]s (see under [[Mycenaean Greek]]), a class of consonants that disappeared from classical Greek by regular phonetic change (becoming in various circumstances {{lang|grc|β}}, {{lang|grc|π}}, {{lang|grc|φ}}, or {{lang|grc|δ}}, {{lang|grc|τ}}, {{lang|grc|θ}}). These consonants had various sources: inheritance from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]], assimilation, borrowing of foreign words, especially names. In Mycenaean they are /kʷ/, /gʷ/, and rarely /kʷh/ in names and a few words:<ref>Ventris & Chadwick (1973), page 45. The authors use ''q'' instead of ''k'': ''q<sup>u</sup>'', ''g<sup>u</sup>'' and ''q<sup>u</sup>h'', following the use of ''q-'' in transcription.</ref> ''a-pi-qo-ro'' for ''amphiq<sup>u</sup>oloi'' ({{lang|grc|ἀμφίπολοι}}); ''qo-u-ko-ro'' for ''g<sup>u</sup>oukoloi'' ({{lang|grc|βουκόλοι}}, "cowherders"); ''qa-si-re-u'' for ''g<sup>u</sup>asileus'' ({{lang|grc|βασιλεύς}}, "[[basileus]]", meaning in this period "court official or local chieftain"), ''-qo-i-ta'' for -{{lang|grc|φόντης}}.

The ''j''-series represents the semivowel equivalent to English "y", and is used word-initially and as an intervocalic glide after a syllable ending in ''i'': ''-a-jo'' for {{lang|grc|-αῖος}} (''-aios''); ''a-te-mi-ti-jo'' for {{lang|grc|Ἀρτεμίτιος}} (''Artemitios''). The ''w''-series similarly are semivowels used word-initially and intervocalically after a syllable ending in ''u'': ''ku-wa-no'' for ''kuanos'' ({{lang|grc|κύανος}}, "blue").<ref>Ventris & Chadwick (1973), page 44.</ref>

The ''r''-series includes both the /r/ and /l/ [[phoneme]]s: ''ti-ri-po'' for ''tripos'' ({{lang|grc|τρίπος}}, i.e. {{lang|grc|τρίπους}}) and ''tu-ri-so'' for ''Tulisos'' ({{lang|grc|Τυλισός}}).

Some consonants in some contexts are not written (but are understood to be present), such as word-initial ''s-'' and ''-w'' before a consonant, as in ''pe-ma'' for ''sperma'' ({{lang|grc|σπέρμα}}, "seed"). The ''pe-'', which was primarily used as its value ''pe'' of grid class CV, is here being used for ''sper-''. This was not an innovative or exceptional use, but followed the stated rules. Syllable-final ''-l'', ''-m'', ''-n'', ''-r'' and ''-s'' are also not written out, and only word-final velars are notated by plene writing: ''a-to-ro-qo'' for ''anthrōq<sup>u</sup>os'' ({{lang|grc|ἄνθρωπος}}, "human being, person"). Here ''a'', being primarily of grid class V, is being used as ''an-'' and could be used for ''al'', ''am'', ''ar'', and so on.

In the case of clusters of two or three consonants that do not follow the initial ''s-'' and ''-w'' rule or the double consonants: {{lang|grc|ξ}}&nbsp;(''ks'' or ''x''), {{lang|grc|ψ}}&nbsp;(''ps'') and ''q<sup>u</sup>s'' (which later did not exist in classical Greek), each consonant in the cluster is represented by a type CV sign that shares its consonant value: ''ko-no-so'' for ''Knōsos'',<ref group="note">Double letters, as in ''Knossos'', were never represented; one was dropped.</ref> or ''ku-ru-so'' for ''khrusos'' ({{lang|grc|χρυσός}}, "gold"). The vowels of these signs have been called "empty", "null", "extra", "dead" and other terms by various writers as they represent no sound. There were rules though, that governed the selection of the "empty" vowel and therefore determined which sign was to be used. The vowel had to be the same as that of the first syllable following the cluster or, if at the end of the word, preceding: ''ti-ri-po'' with ''ti-'' (instead of ''ta-'', ''te-'' and so on) to match ''-ri-''.  A rare exception occurs in words formed from ''wa-na-ka'', ''wanax'' (ϝάναξ, Homeric and Classical ἄναξ): ''wa-na-ka-te'' for ''wanaktei'' (dative), and ''wa-na-ka-te-ro'' for ''wanakteros'', the adjectival form. This exception may not have applied to all contexts, as an example of ''wa-na-ka'' that follows standard rules has emerged in [[Agios Vasileios, Laconia|Agios Vasileios]] in [[Laconia]]. The text reads ''wa-na-ko-to'' (genitive) and is written on a sealing nodule dating to the late 14th or early 13th century, slightly earlier than other Linear B texts found on mainland Greece.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Petrakis |first1=Vassilis P. |date=2016 |title= Addenda to "Writing the wanax: Spelling peculiarities of Linear B wa-na-ka and their possible implications" |url= http://campus.usal.es/~revistas_trabajo/index.php/0544-3733/article/view/16644 |journal= Minos: Revista de Filología Egea |volume=39 |pages= 407–408 | access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref>