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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! ! 1. ! Logogram (signs=words, hundreds or thousands of signs) 2. Syllabary (signs=syllables, about 70-90 signs) 3. Alphabet (signs=phonemes, about 20-30 signs) ! 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) ! 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 1. 2. 3. 4. Cuneiform: Sumeria, Akkadia, Assyria, Babylonia Linear A: Minoan (Crete) Linear B: Mycenean (mainland Greece) West Semitic: Phoenician Cuneiform (latin cuneus, wedge) ! ! The earliest writing system in the West !! Mesopotamia ! ! ! ! ! • • • • Sumerian empire Akkadian empire Assyrian empire Babylonian empire Cuneiform - development Cuneiform clay tablets and stylus Palace at Nimrud (Ashurnasirpal II) ! (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
