Lycian script

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Lycian.
Lycian
Type Alphabet
Spoken languages Lycian language
Time period 500-330 BC
Parent systems Greek alphabet
Lycian
Sister systems Carian script
ISO 15924 Lyci
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode.

Lycian script was used to write the Lycian language and as such was coterminous with the latest end point of it. That the language preceded the script is indicated by the names, which must have existed before they were written. Like the Carian script, the Lycian script is a modification of the Greek alphabet, but it is not the same modification. The same Greek letters may not represent the same sounds in both languages. Moreover, the Lycian script is primarily alphabetic, but some of the symbols double as syllables. Writing is left to right with word separators.

Contents

[edit] The alphabet

The Lycian alphabet[1][2] contains letters for 29 sounds. Some sounds are represented by more than one symbol, which is considered one "letter." There are six vowels, "o" being missing, two nasal vowels being added, and two unknown letters. Twelve of the Lycian letters are not derived from the Greek alphabet.

The Lycian Alphabet
Lycian Letter Transliteration Sound Table Notes
a vowel
ã nasal vowel Syllabic value of "an" as in Lusãtra for Greek Lusandros.[3]
B or b b stop consonant
Δ d stop consonant
↑ e vowel
ẽ nasal vowel
g stop consonant
+ h sibilant consonant
E i vowel
I j or y semivowel
z sibilant consonant
K or k stop consonant
Λ l lateral consonant
M m
X m̃
N, n
ñ
Γ p stop consonant
q
Р r liquid consonant
S s sibilant consonant
T t stop consonant ñt is "d" as in Ñtemuχlida for Dēmokleidēs.[4]
τ
θ
O u vowel
F w semivowel
χ
?
?

[edit] Lycian in Unicode

The Lycian script is included in version 5.1 of the Unicode standard. It is encoded in Plane 1 (Supplementary Multilingual Plane), range U+10280 - U+1029F.

[edit] See also

Ancient Near East Portal

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Adiego (2007) page 764.
  2. ^ Bryce (1986) pages 56-57.
  3. ^ Bryce (1986) page 58.
  4. ^ Bryce, T.R. (January 1986). "The Pronunciation of Delta in Greek and Lycian". Classical Philology 81 (1): 56–58. doi:10.1086/366958.  First page displayable no charge.

[edit] References

  • Adiego, I.J. (2007), “Greek and Lycian”, in Christidis, A.F.; Arapopoulou, Maria & Chriti, Maria, A History of Ancient Greek From the Beginning to Late Antiquity, Cambridge University press, ISBN 0521833078 . Translator Chris Markham.
  • Bryce, Trevor R. (1986). The Lycians - Volume I: The Lycians in Literary and Epigraphic Sources. Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 87-7289-023-1. 

[edit] External links

Languages