Orthographic variation as evidence for the development of the Linear B writing system
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.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.‘Doublet’ signs
- 3.‘Complex’ signs
- 4.Synchronic evidence and diachronic developments
- 5.Conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
Bibliography
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