[HN Gopher] Learning to Spell in Linear B: Scribal Training in M...
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       Learning to Spell in Linear B: Scribal Training in Mycenaean Pylos
        
       Author : diodorus
       Score  : 36 points
       Date   : 2022-08-16 16:17 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.cambridge.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.cambridge.org)
        
       | kurupt213 wrote:
       | nice find. I wonder if machine learning can be used to
       | reconstruct the language behind Linear A. Similar symbols should
       | represent similar phonemes. we should be able to determine what
       | language family we are dealing with, at least, and if the
       | language is inflected.
        
         | thaumasiotes wrote:
         | > I wonder if machine learning can be used to reconstruct the
         | language behind Linear A. Similar symbols should represent
         | similar phonemes.
         | 
         | This is an insight well within the means of any humans working
         | on Linear A. What would machine learning add?
        
         | laughy wrote:
         | The latest research suggests Linear A and Linear B is the same
         | script, but used for different languages analogous to how the
         | Latin script is both used for say English and Polish, but with
         | language specific adjustments.
        
       | account-5 wrote:
       | Off topic but this is a very weird coincidence for me since I had
       | just randomly started watching a 1970s documentary about Crete on
       | Netflix which talks about Linear A and B.
        
         | irsagent wrote:
         | Do you happen to know what the documentary was called?
        
       | tragomaskhalos wrote:
       | I taught myself linear b one summer - it was a hard slog, as
       | although the characters are clearly motivated (ie simplified
       | pictures, presumably acrophonic) there are a lot of them and it's
       | in most cases not clear what they are of - and even if it were,
       | it wouldn't be much use to you as the language is unfamiliar
       | anyway. If current theories are correct and the characters have
       | the same values as in linear a, and linear a is not Greek, then
       | the Mycenaean scribes would have had similar struggles learning
       | the script as I did, which increases my respect for them!
        
         | irsagent wrote:
         | Do you happen to know what resource you used to teach yourself
         | linear b?
        
           | tragomaskhalos wrote:
           | Nothing elaborate, just made flashcards from the sign list,
           | one character per card.
        
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