Download Early Writing Systems

Clst 181SK Ancient Greece and the Origins of Western Culture
2. Early Writing Systems
Cuneiform, early Linear Scripts
Origins of the Greek Alphabet
Alpha Beta Gamma Delta
Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω
α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ τ θ φ χ ψ ω
Origins of the Greek Alphabet:
From Phoenician to Greek
Nestor’s cup c. 750 BC
Pithikoussai, Italy
ΝΕΣΤΟΡΟΣ: ... :ΕΥΠΟΤΟΝ:ΠΟΤΕΡΙΟΝ
ΗΟΣΔΑΤΟΔΕΠΙΕΣΙ:ΠΟΤΕΡΙ .. :AΥΤΙΚΑΚΕΝΟΝ
ΗΙΜΕΡΟΣΗΑΙΡΕΣΕΙ:ΚΑΛΛΙΣΤΕΦΑΝΟ:ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΕΣ
Νέστορος [εἰμὶ] εὔποτ[ον] ποτήριο[ν]·
ὃς δ’ ἂν τοῦδε π[ίησι] ποτηρί[ου] αὐτίκα κῆνον
ἵμερ[ος αἱρ]ήσει καλλιστ[εφάν]ου Ἀφροδίτης.
Nestor’s cup I am, good to drink from. Whoever drinks this cup empty, straightaway the desire of beautiful-crowned Aphrodite will seize.
A crude typology of writing systems or signaries!
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1.
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Logogram (signs=words, hundreds or
thousands of signs)
2. Syllabary (signs=syllables, about 70-90
signs)
3. Alphabet (signs=phonemes, about 20-30
signs)
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But note that many writing systems are hybrids:
cuneiform, for example is a logosyllabary, a syllabary
augmented with about 600 logographic signs
Speech and Writing Systems:
Speech as a continuous sound wave
“I am an elephant”
Where are the words, syllables, phonemes?
Speech and Writing Systems:
The problem with phonemes
Phoneme
(from Apple Dictionary)
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A phoneme is a basic unit of a language's phonology, which is
combined with other phonemes to form meaningful units such as
words or morphemes. The phoneme can be described as "The
smallest contrastive linguistic unit which may bring about a
change of meaning". In this way the difference in meaning
between the English words kill and kiss is a result of the
exchange of the phoneme /l/ for the phoneme /s/.
http://makingnoiseandhearingthings.com/tag/speech-signal/
Four Early Writing Systems in the West
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3.
4.
Cuneiform: Sumeria, Akkadia, Assyria, Babylonia
Linear A: Minoan (Crete)
Linear B: Mycenean (mainland Greece)
West Semitic: Phoenician
Cuneiform
(latin cuneus, wedge)
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The
earliest writing system in the West
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Mesopotamia
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Sumerian empire
Akkadian empire
Assyrian empire
Babylonian empire
Cuneiform - development
Cuneiform clay tablets and
stylus
Palace at Nimrud (Ashurnasirpal II)
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(Assyria)
Early
Cuneiform
Early
Cuneiform
BM 116730
Linear A
(Crete: Minoan Civilization)
Crete and the Minoan Civilizaiton: Trade Routes
Crete and the Minoans: the palace at Knossos/Cnossos
Knossos – aerial view
Knossos – grand staircase
Knossos - Throne room
King / Priest
Queen’s room
Blue Ladies
Knossos - pithoi
Knossos - pithos
Linear A – Palace of Minos,
Knossos, Crete
Linear A – Hagia Triada, Crete