Linear A & B Grids

inaugural date: 27 November 2005; last update: 6 August 2022
Comments, corrections, questions: John Younger (jyounger@ku.edu)

The 92 AB Signs
The Linear A Syllabary
The Conventional Linear B Syllabary
The Melena's Proposed Full Linear B Syllabary

AB Signs, 1-92 The following grid takes into consideration Melena 2014, especially 88-89 fig. 17.13. This grid (with a few corrections) appears in my review of Duhoux and Morpurgo-Davies 2014 in the American Journal of Archaeology 119.3 (July 2015) online: http://ajaonline.org/online-review-book/2170. Two superscript question marks refer to transliterations proposed by Melena but not yet officially accepted. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 da ro pa te to na di a se 1 u po so me do mo qa za sto^?? ru₂^?? 2 zo qi pi₂^?? mu ne a₂ /ha/ ru re i pu₂ 3 ni sa qo ra₃ a₅^?? deleted; see *34 jo ti e pi 4 wi si wo ai ke de je ? nwa ? 5 pu du no ri wa nu pa₂^?? ja su ta 6 ra o pte ^j/_zi?? twi^?? ^j/_zu?? sta^?? ki ro₂ tu 7 ko dwe pe mi ze we ra₂ ka qe wo₂^?? 8 ma ku twa^?? nwe^?? deleted au (a₄) dwa^?? twe deleted deleted 9 dwo two sa₂^?? (PY Ma 397[+]1048.1)
The Linear A Syllabary

Linear A signs given Linear B values, based on the same word appearing in both scripts (Godart 1984):

secure syllabograms: DA, I, JA, KI, PA, PI, RO, RI, SU, TA, O no question mark

possible: TE (in SU-KI-RI-TE-I-JA), A, KO one question mark

Linear A signs resembling Linear B signs but not attested in words in both scripts two question marks

Other Linear A words resembling Linear B words (see below)

A-RA-NA-RE a-ra-na-ro

A-SA-RA₂ a-sa-ra₂

A-TA-RE a-ta-ro

DA-MI-NU da-mi-ni-jo

A-KA-RU a-ka-re-u

DI-DE-RU di-de-ro

KA-SA-RU ka-sa-ro

KI-DA-RO ki-da-ro

KI-RI-TA₂ ki-ri-ta

KU-PA₃-NA-TU ka-pa₃-na-to, ku-pa-nu-we-to

KU-RU-KU ku-ru-ka

KU-ZU-NI ku-zu-ni-jo/ja

MI+JA+RU mi-ja-ro

PA-JA-RE pa-ja-ro

PA-RA-NE pa-ra-ne

QA-QA-RU qa-qa-ro

QE-KU-RE ke-ku-ro

SA-SA-ME sa-sa-ma

TA-NA-TI ]ta-na-ti

TE-JA-RE te-ja-ro

A E I O U Other

8? 38?? 28 61 10?? 43?? AI, 306 A₂?? [shape resembles AB 43, AI?], 85 AU??

D 1 45?? 7?? 51?? 318 DI₂??

J 57 46?? 65??

K 77?? 44?? 67 70? 81?? 304 KA₂??

M 80?? 13? 73?? 23??

N 6?? 24?? 30?? 55?? 48 NWA?? (attested on SY Za 4; also as a sole sign on a bronze ax head in a private collection (Melena 2014, 62 n. 76 (ax shape like KA Zf 1); perhaps referred to in KU-PA₃-NA-TU, see lexicon and homepage)

P 3 39 11?? 50?? 16 PA₂?? (now: QA), 314 PU₃?? (Fachetti 1999a, 132)

^mP 56?? (^mPA₃) 22?? (^mPI₂) 29?? (^mPU₂) Duhoux 1984, Janda 1986, Melena 1987

Q 16?? (originally PA₂) 78?? 21??

R 60 27?? 53 2 26?? 76 RA₂??

S 31?? 9?? 41?? 58 348 SI₂, 82 SWA

T 59 4? 37?? 5?? 69?? 66 TA₂, 87 TWE
W 54?? 40??

Z 17?? 74?? 20?? 79??
Syllabograms, unknown phonetic values
*47, *49, *86 (Melena proposes dwa for B86; see below), *118, *123, *301
Linear B signs not attested in Linear A

O-series (Melena 2014, 85-86, mentions possible Linear A sources): *12 so (possibly from A363 ), *14 do (possibly from A364 ), *36 jo (possibly from A349 ), *15 mo (possibly from A302 or A303 ), *52 no (possibly from A362 / Hiero *008 ), *32 qo (a schematic version of *33/CROC ), *42 wo (= the left half of Linear A *118 ), *90 dwo (two wos, and the sign for "2")

E-series: *72 pe, *75 we (possibly on KN Wc 23)

*84, *88, *89

rare signs used to write Minoan names in Linear B texts (Palaima 1988, 322): *18?, *19?, *63 IKRIA, *64 swi, *83?
doublets & complex signs: *25 a₂, *33 ra₃ /rai/ (Melena 2014, 87, from Hiero *023 CROC and only at Pylos), *43 ai, *62 pte, 68 ro₂ /rjo/, *71 dwe, *87 twe, *91 two

The Conventional Linear B Syllabary

A E I O U Other

Ø 8 38 28 61 10 a₂ 25 (= ha?), 43 ai, 85 au

D 1 45 7 14 51 71 dwe, 90 dwo

J 57 46 36 65

K 77 44 67 70 81

M 80 13 73 15 23

N 6 24 30 52 55 48 nwa

P 3 72 39 11 50 16 pa₂ (now qa), 29 pu₂ (phu?), 22 pi₂, 56 pa₃, 62 pte

Q 16 (originally pa₂) 78 21 32

R 60 27 53 2 26 76 ra₂ /rja/, 33 ra₃ /rai/, 68 ro₂ /rjo/

S 31 9 41 12 58 82 swa, 64 swi

T 59 4 37 5 69 66 ta₂, 87 twe, 91 two
W 54 75 40 42

Z 17 74 20 79

Syllabograms, unknown phonetic values
*18 , *19 , *34 , *47 , *49 , *63 IKRIA , *83 , *86

Signs deleted (Melena 2014, 3, 12)
*35 , *84 , *88 , *89

J.L. Melena's Proposed Full Linear B Syllabary

The following grid relies on the detailed discussions in Melena 2014, especially 88-89 fig. 17.13. This grid will appear in my review of Duhoux and Morpurgo-Davies 2014 in the American Journal of Archaeology 119.3 (July 2015) online.
Two superscript question marks refer to transliterations proposed by but not yet officially accepted.

basic syllabary supplementary

Ø a *08 e *38 i *28 o *61 u *10 a₂ *25 /ha/
a₃ *43 /ai/
a₅^?? *34 /ai/
au/a₄ *85

d- da *01 de *45 di *07 do *14 du *51

d^w- d^wa^?? *86 dwe *71 dwo *90

j- ja *57 je *46 jo *36 ^j_/_zu^?? *65

g/k^(w)- ka *77 ke *44 ki *67 ko *70 ku *81

m- ma *80 me *13 mi *73 mo *15 mu *23

n- na *06 ne *24 ni *30 no *52 nu *55 nwa *48
nwe^?? *83

b/p^(h)- pa *03 pe *72 pi *39 po *11 pu *50 p^t_/_je *62

^mb?/p^(h)- pa₂^?? *56 pi2^?? *22 pu₂ *29

g^w/k^w(h)- qa *16 qe *78 qi *21 qo *32 ku *81

l/r- ra *60 re *27 ri *53 ro *02 ru *26 ra₂ *76 /rja/
ra₃ *33 /rai/
ro₂ *68 /rjo/
ru₂^?? *19 /rju/

s- sa *31 se *09 si *41 so *12 su *58 sja^?? *92 (PY Ma 397[+]1048.1)

st- ta₂ /sta/ *66 sto *18

t^(h)- ta *59 te *04 ti *37 to *05 tu *69 ta₂ /sta/ *66

t^w- twa^?? *82 twe *87 twi^?? *64 two *91

w- wa *54 we *75 wi *40 wo *42 wu/u *10 wo₂ *79

z- za *17 ze *74 zo *20 ^j_/_zu^?? *65

untransliterated *47, *49

The 92 AB Signs
The Linear A Syllabary
The Conventional Linear B Syllabary
The Melena's Proposed Full Linear B Syllabary

Comments, corrections, questions: John Younger: jyounger@ku.edu
For the Linear A texts from Haghia Triada (Ayia Triada)

For other Linear A texts
Common Linear A Ideograms; GORILA's sign charts and palaeographic sign charts
For Linear A religious texts grouped separately

A Linear A Lexicon

Hypothetical Phonetic Grids for Cretan Hieroglyphic.
Bibliography from 1980 on (with select works prior)

	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
0		da	ro	pa	te	to	na	di	a	se
1	u	po	so	me	do	mo	qa	za	sto^??	ru₂^??
2	zo	qi	pi₂^??	mu	ne	a₂ /ha/	ru	re	i	pu₂
3	ni	sa	qo	ra₃	a₅^??	deleted; see *34	jo	ti	e	pi
4	wi	si	wo	ai	ke	de	je	?	nwa	?
5	pu	du	no	ri	wa	nu	pa₂^??	ja	su	ta
6	ra	o	pte	^j/_zi??	twi^??	^j/_zu??	sta^??	ki	ro₂	tu
7	ko	dwe	pe	mi	ze	we	ra₂	ka	qe	wo₂^??
8	ma	ku	twa^??	nwe^??	deleted	au (a₄)	dwa^??	twe	deleted	deleted
9	dwo	two	sa₂^?? (PY Ma 397[+]1048.1)

secure syllabograms: DA, I, JA, KI, PA, PI, RO, RI, SU, TA, O		no question mark
possible: TE (in SU-KI-RI-TE-I-JA), A, KO		one question mark
Linear A signs resembling Linear B signs but not attested in words in both scripts		two question marks

A-RA-NA-RE	a-ra-na-ro
A-SA-RA₂	a-sa-ra₂
A-TA-RE	a-ta-ro
DA-MI-NU	da-mi-ni-jo
A-KA-RU	a-ka-re-u
DI-DE-RU	di-de-ro
KA-SA-RU	ka-sa-ro
KI-DA-RO	ki-da-ro
KI-RI-TA₂	ki-ri-ta
KU-PA₃-NA-TU	ka-pa₃-na-to, ku-pa-nu-we-to
KU-RU-KU	ku-ru-ka
KU-ZU-NI	ku-zu-ni-jo/ja
MI+JA+RU	mi-ja-ro
PA-JA-RE	pa-ja-ro
PA-RA-NE	pa-ra-ne
QA-QA-RU	qa-qa-ro
QE-KU-RE	ke-ku-ro
SA-SA-ME	sa-sa-ma
TA-NA-TI	]ta-na-ti
TE-JA-RE	te-ja-ro

	A	E	I	O	U	Other
	8?	38??	28	61	10??	43?? AI, 306 A₂?? [shape resembles AB 43, AI?], 85 AU??
D	1	45??	7??		51??	318 DI₂??
J	57	46??			65??
K	77??	44??	67	70?	81??	304 KA₂??
M	80??	13?	73??		23??
N	6??	24??	30??		55??	48 NWA?? (attested on SY Za 4; also as a sole sign on a bronze ax head in a private collection (Melena 2014, 62 n. 76 (ax shape like KA Zf 1); perhaps referred to in KU-PA₃-NA-TU, see lexicon and homepage)
P	3		39	11??	50??	16 PA₂?? (now: QA), 314 PU₃?? (Fachetti 1999a, 132)
^mP	56?? (^mPA₃)		22?? (^mPI₂)		29?? (^mPU₂)	Duhoux 1984, Janda 1986, Melena 1987
Q	16?? (originally PA₂)	78??	21??
R	60	27??	53	2	26??	76 RA₂??
S	31??	9??	41??		58	348 SI₂, 82 SWA
T	59	4?	37??	5??	69??	66 TA₂, 87 TWE
W	54??		40??
Z	17??	74??		20??	79??

	A	E	I	O	U	Other
Ø	8	38	28	61	10	a₂ 25 (= ha?), 43 ai, 85 au
D	1	45	7	14	51	71 dwe, 90 dwo
J	57	46		36	65
K	77	44	67	70	81
M	80	13	73	15	23
N	6	24	30	52	55	48 nwa
P	3	72	39	11	50	16 pa₂ (now qa), 29 pu₂ (phu?), 22 pi₂, 56 pa₃, 62 pte
Q	16 (originally pa₂)	78	21	32
R	60	27	53	2	26	76 ra₂ /rja/, 33 ra₃ /rai/, 68 ro₂ /rjo/
S	31	9	41	12	58	82 swa, 64 swi
T	59	4	37	5	69	66 ta₂, 87 twe, 91 two
W	54	75	40	42
Z	17	74		20	79

basic syllabary						supplementary
Ø	a *08	e *38	i *28	o *61	u *10	a₂ 25 /ha/ a₃ 43 /ai/ a₅^?? 34 /ai/ au/a₄* *85
d-	da *01	de *45	di *07	do *14	du *51
d^w-	d^wa^?? *86	dwe *71		dwo *90
j-	ja *57	je *46		jo *36	^j_/_zu^?? *65
g/k^(w)-	ka *77	ke *44	ki *67	ko *70	ku *81
m-	ma *80	me *13	mi *73	mo *15	mu *23
n-	na *06	ne *24	ni *30	no *52	nu *55	nwa 48 nwe^??* *83
b/p^(h)-	pa *03	pe *72	pi *39	po *11	pu *50	p^t_/_je *62
^mb?/p^(h)-	pa₂^?? *56		pi2^?? *22	pu₂ *29
g^w/k^w(h)-	qa *16	qe *78	qi *21	qo *32	ku *81
l/r-	ra *60	re *27	ri *53	ro *02	ru *26	ra₂ 76 /rja/ ra₃* 33 /rai/ ro₂* 68 /rjo/ ru₂^??* *19 /rju/
s-	sa *31	se *09	si *41	so *12	su *58	sja^?? *92 (PY Ma 397[+]1048.1)
st-	ta₂ /sta/ *66			sto *18
t^(h)-	ta *59	te *04	ti *37	to *05	tu *69	ta₂ /sta/ *66
t^w-	twa^?? *82	twe *87	twi^?? *64	two *91
w-	wa *54	we *75	wi *40	wo *42	wu/u *10	wo₂ *79
z-	za *17	ze *74		zo *20	^j_/_zu^?? *65
untransliterated						47, 49

Linear A & B Grids

AB Signs, 1-92

The Linear A Syllabary

The Conventional Linear B Syllabary

J.L. Melena's Proposed Full Linear B Syllabary