In case you want to get straight to choosing a name without knowing why we think it’s a name, here’s a short list of words from Linear A sources that can reasonably be considered personal names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The suggested pronunciations are only a jumping-off point. Many Linear A syllables could have stood for multiple sounds, and the Greek version of some syllables hides a different Minoan pronunciation. For example, the name KI-DA-RO might have been pronounced Kitharo, Githaro, Kithalo, Githalo, Kidaro, Gidaro, Kidalo, or Gidalo. If you’re wondering why a possible pronunciation isn’t on the list below, it’s because I didn’t think to add it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Note that the Minoan pronunciations of D and PA\u2083 are theoretical, and different linguists have proposed different solutions. The pronunciations here are the ones I found to be the most persuasive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A-KO-A-NE, Akoane Minoan names offer almost no clues to their gender. They can end with any syllable, they can begin with any syllable, and they don’t have any repeating elements except -are and -dare\/-daro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tablets where the names appear don’t offer any clues either. No Linear A symbol for “human male” or “human female” has been discovered.1<\/a><\/sup> The topic of lists of personnel is unclear enough that we can’t even say that, for example, a particular tablet is a list of weavers, so the people on it are probably female.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even comparisons with Minoan names from Mycenaean times give us very little information. Linear B tablets give us lists of Minoan names of known gender, a couple dozen of which also appear in Linear A. They establish that names ending in -aro and -daro (Minoan -are and -dare\/-daro) are male. And, because no names appear on both the male and female lists, Mycenaean tablets establish that Minoan males and females probably had separate name pools. But they don’t tell us how to gender names that don’t end in -aro or -daro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Society for Creative Anachronism doesn’t require you to choose a gendered name. But if you want to be a purist, here are the Minoan names that are probably male, either because they appear in Linear B as male or because they end in -are or -dare\/-daro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No female names can be identified by comparing Linear A and Linear B. However, because the word MI-DA-MA-RA2<\/sub> was inscribed on a silver hairpin using a formula that may mean MI-DA-MA-RA2<\/sub> was the name of the donor, one interpretation is that MI-DA-MA-RA2<\/sub> is a female name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Updated April 10, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n In case you want to get straight to choosing a name without knowing why we think it’s a name, here’s a short list of words from Linear A sources that can reasonably be considered personal names. The suggested pronunciations are only a jumping-off point. Many Linear A syllables could have stood for multiple sounds, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":285,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"Linear A does have conventions for distinguishing male and female animals. Males have a long upright stroke with two short crossbars, and females have a tall, skirt-like arch or triangle. Linear B picked up on this convention and applied it to humans, which is why we have Linear B signs for male and female.\",\"id\":\"efbeb99f-69f4-4580-941a-227c8697bb1c\"}]"},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-448","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=448"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":460,"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/448\/revisions\/460"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/285"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/issendai.com\/minoan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
A-RA-NA-RE, Aranare
DA-MI-NU, Daminu, Thaminu
DA-NE-KU-TI, Daneguti, Thanekuti
DA-RI-DA, Darida, Tharitha
DA-TA-RE, Datare, Thatare
DI-DE-RU, Dideru, Thithelu
DI-DI-ZA-KE, Didizake, Thithizake
I-DA-A, Idaa, Ithaa, Idaha, Ithaha
I-DA-MI, Idami, Ithami
JA-I-NWA-ZA, Yainwaza
JA-MI-DA-RE, Yamidare, Yamithare
KA-JU, Kayu
KA-SA-RU, Kasaru, Gasalu
KI-DA-RO, Kidaro, Kitharo
KO-SA-I-TI, Kosaiti, Kosahiti, Gosaiti, Gosahiti
KU-KU-DA-RA, Kukudara, Guguthara
KU-PA3<\/sub>-NA-TU, Kufanatu, Gubanatu
KU-PA\u2083-NU, Kufanu, Kubanu
KU-PA\u2083-PA\u2083, Kufafa, Kubaba
KU-RA-MU, Kuramu
KU-RU-KU, Kuruku, Gulugu
MA-RU, Maru
MI-DA-MA-RA2<\/sub>, Midamarya, Mithamalya
MI-TU, Mitu
NA-DA-RE, Nadare, Nathale
O-SU-QA-RE, Osuquare, Osuquale
PA-DE, Pade, Pathe
PA-JA-RE, Payare, Payale
PA-TA-NE, Patane
PI-TE-RI, Piteri, Piteli
QA-QA-RU, Quaquaru, Quaqualu
QE-RA2<\/sub>-U, Queryau, Quelyahu
QA-RA2<\/sub>-WA (a variant of QE-RA2<\/sub>-U), Quaryawa, Qualyawa
SA-MA-RO, Samaro, Samalo
SI-DA-RE, Sidare, Sithare
SI-KI-TE, Sikite, Sigite
TA-NA-TI, Tanati
TE-JA-RE, Teyare
TU-JU-MA, Tuyuma
TU-ME-I, Tumehi
U-DI-MI, Udimi, Uthimi
U-QE-TI, Uqueti
U-SU, Usu
ZU-SU, Zusu<\/p>\n\n\n\nGendering Minoan Names<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n