data/linear_b/README.md

# Linear B (Mycenaean Greek) Dataset

Structured dataset for Linear B inscriptions and Mycenaean Greek vocabulary, compiled from CC-BY-SA compatible open sources.

## Files

- `linear_b_signs.tsv` — Full sign inventory (211 signs: 88 syllabograms + 123 ideograms)
- `sign_to_ipa.json` — 74 syllabogram transliterations mapped to IPA values
- `linear_b_words.tsv` — 2,478 words with transliterations, IPA, glosses, and source attribution
- `README.md` — This file

## Sign Inventory (`linear_b_signs.tsv`)

Columns: `Codepoint`, `Unicode_Char`, `Bennett_Number`, `Name`, `Type`, `Transliteration`, `IPA`

- **88 syllabograms** (U+10000-U+1007F): 74 with confirmed phonetic values, 14 undeciphered symbols
- **123 ideograms** (U+10080-U+100FF): logograms for commodities, animals, vessels, etc.
- Bennett numbers follow the standard Mycenological numbering system
- Source: Unicode Character Database (Unicode Terms license, permissive)

## Sign-to-IPA Mapping (`sign_to_ipa.json`)

74 syllabogram transliterations mapped to IPA phonetic values based on the Ventris decipherment (1952) and CIPEM standard conventions.

Key systematic mappings (Reference: Ventris & Chadwick 1973, Hooker 1980):
- q-series → labiovelars /kʷ/ (e.g., `qa` → `kʷa`)
- z-series → affricates /ts/ (e.g., `za` → `tsa`)
- j → palatal glide /j/
- w → labio-velar glide /w/
- r-series covers both /r/ and /l/ (Linear B does not distinguish)
- Variant signs: `a2` → `ha` (aspiration), `pu2` → `pʰu` (aspirated), `ra2` → `rja` (palatalized)

## Word List (`linear_b_words.tsv`)

Columns: `Word`, `IPA`, `SCA`, `Source`, `Concept_ID`, `Cognate_Set_ID`, `Gloss`, `Word_Type`, `IPA_Source`

### Statistics

| Metric | Count |
|--------|-------|
| Total words | 2,478 |
| Common nouns | 674 |
| Anthroponyms (personal names) | 1,285 |
| Toponyms (place names) | 209 |
| Unknown meaning | ~250 |
| Theonyms (deity names) | ~27 |
| Expert IPA (Wiktionary/IE-CoR) | 81 |
| Transliteration-derived IPA | 2,397 |

### IPA Sources

IPA transcriptions come from three tiers of quality:
1. **Expert** (81 words): Scholarly reconstructions from Wiktionary `ts=` parameter and IE-CoR cognate pair data. Examples: `a-ke-ro` → `áŋɡelos`, `a-ku-ro` → `árguros`
2. **Transliteration conversion** (2,397 words): Systematic application of the Ventris grid IPA mapping to each syllable in the transliteration
3. **IE-CoR cognate data** (42 words): 42 Mycenaean Greek words from the IE-CoR (Indo-European Cognate Relations) database with expert IPA reconstructions, linked to Concepticon concept IDs

### Word Types

- `common`: Words with identifiable meanings (nouns, verbs, adjectives)
- `anthroponym`: Personal names attested on Linear B tablets
- `toponym`: Place names (Knossos administrative records)
- `theonym`: Deity names (e.g., di-wo = Zeus, po-se-da-o = Poseidon)
- `ethnic`: Ethnic/geographic adjectives
- `unknown`: Words of unknown or uncertain meaning

## Sources

| Source | License | Entries | Description |
|--------|---------|---------|-------------|
| Unicode UCD | Unicode Terms (permissive) | 211 signs | Definitive sign inventory |
| jhnwnstd/shannon | MIT | 2,272 words | Linear B Lexicon based on Chadwick & Ventris 1973 |
| Wiktionary (gmy) | CC-BY-SA-3.0+ | 170 words | Mycenaean Greek lemmas with IPA and etymologies |
| IE-CoR | CC-BY-4.0 | 42 words | Expert Mycenaean Greek cognate pairs |

## Academic References

- Ventris, M. & Chadwick, J. (1973). *Documents in Mycenaean Greek*. 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press.
- Hooker, J.T. (1980). *Linear B: An Introduction*. Bristol Classical Press. (IPA mapping for z-series, p.68)
- Palmer, L.R. (1963). *The Interpretation of Mycenaean Greek Texts*. Oxford University Press.
- The Unicode Consortium. *The Unicode Standard*, Chapter 8: "Linear B Syllabary" (U+10000-U+1007F).

## Limitations

1. **IPA quality varies**: Only 81 words have expert IPA reconstructions. The remaining 2,397 use systematic transliteration conversion, which captures the syllabic structure but not phonological details like aspiration, vowel length, or accent.
2. **Glosses are noisy**: The Shannon lexicon definitions contain scholarly concordance notes, not clean dictionary glosses. Parsing extracts the primary meaning but some entries retain bibliographic noise.
3. **Name-heavy**: 73% of entries are proper nouns (names, places), reflecting the administrative nature of Linear B tablets (palace inventories, tax records). Only 27% are common vocabulary.
4. **No tablet corpus**: The dataset includes individual words but not full tablet texts. DAMOS (CC-BY-NC-SA-4.0) and LiBER (non-profit only) provide tablet corpora but are license-incompatible.
5. **r/l merger**: Linear B uses a single r-series for both /r/ and /l/. The IPA mapping uses /r/ throughout, but the actual Mycenaean pronunciation distinguished the two.