Orthographic variation as evidence for the development of the Linear B writing system

Abstract

This paper investigates the issue of orthographic variation in the Linear B writing system in order to explore ways in which studying a writing system’s orthographic conventions may shed light on the history of its development. Linear B was used in the palatial/administrative centres of Late Bronze Age Greece and Crete (c.1400–1200 B.C.E.) and records an early Greek dialect known as ‘Mycenaean’. The writing system’s structure and orthographic conventions permit flexibility in the spelling of particular phonological sequences: this paper discusses the varying orthographic representation of such sequences and shows that synchronic variation is common or even the norm in many cases. Investigating the factors which underlie this variation demonstrates the potential for a study of synchronic variation to illuminate a writing system’s diachronic development; it also underlines the importance of analysing the ways in which writers actually choose to use writing systems in order to fully understand their development.

Learning to Spell in Linear B: Orthography and Scribal Training in Mycenaean Pylos

“…142 See e.g. Palaima (1999); Karagianni (2015); Nakassis (2018); Judson (2020a). 143 Palaima (1999); Salgarella (2019).…”

“…Duhoux (1986) and (2011) 103; see further section 9. 12 A preliminary analysis of variation in the use of a selection of these signs was presented inJudson (2019), in which I investigated this variation from the perspective of the writing system's diachronic development. All of the data used in this study has been updated and reanalysed following the publication of the new Pylos editions (section 3).13 Note that I focus in this article exclusively on writers' choices between different orthographic options for representing the same phonemic sequence; apparent instances of spelling variation which are likely to be due to linguistic differences are therefore excluded.…”

“…12A preliminary analysis of variation in the use of a selection of these signs was presented in Judson (2019), in which I investigated this variation from the perspective of the writing system's diachronic development. All of the data used in this study has been updated and reanalysed following the publication of the new Pylos editions (section 3).…”

Scribes as Editors: Tracking Changes in the Linear B Documents

“…the statement that all of these are "choix faits entre des options a priori également légitimes" (choices made between options that are a priori equally legitimate; Perpillou 1977, 237). On this kind of spelling variation in general, see Duhoux 1986;Panayotou 1987Panayotou , 1992Judson 2019. 90 pe-te-re-wa /ptelewās/ "(made) of elm," KN So 894.1; turu-pe-te[-ri-ja /struptēria/ "alum," KN X 986 (cf. tu-ru-pte-ri-ja, PY An 35.5, Un 443.1; TI X 6.ḅ ).…”