Linear A to Japanese: ai to a.sa

· Linear A Lexicon

INDEX

LinA words
ai | a.ma | a.ri.su | a.sa

Japanese words (Hiragana)
あい | あま | あさ |

Japanese words (Kanji)
|
| 亜麻 | | |

Japanese words (Katakana)
アーリス |

Japanese words (Romaji)
ai | ama | Arliss | asa |



ai | あい (ai)
ai | 藍 (ai) | indigo, indigo dye; Persicaria tinctoria, dyer’s knotweed, the source of indigo dye
MY Zf 2 (MY Scribe unknown)
As early as 2500 BCE, dyes have been used in Mesopotamia, especially among the Egyptians, who used indigo and woad. By the Hellenistic period, the practice of using vats (cauldrons) to dye wool with indigo was common. In Japan, “[a]rchaeologists have uncovered indigo-dyed cloth [that has been] buried for over a thousand years” [Perez 2002:205-6].
藍 surname (O’Neill #2772) (IJN)
03.24.15


a.ma | あま (ama)
a.ma | 亜麻 (ama) | linen, jute
a.ma | 天 (ama) | heaven, sky; deva
HS Zg 1 * MA 7 * ZA 7 (Scribes unknown)
On a schist plaque at Haghios Stephanos, a.ma appears to mean 天 “heaven, sky” or “deva” [HS Zg 1].  Compare 天照大 神 Amaterasu Oomikami “the sun goddess”, which is the principle deity in the Shinto pantheon.  照らす terasu means “to illuminate, to shine”, and 大御神  oomikami, or ookami, is an archaic term that means “god, goddess”; thus, perhaps, “shining-heaven goddess”. a.ma may also be found on MA 7 and ZA 7. Cf. LinB a-ma [KN E 845 and 852]. Each of these other four tablets suggests 亜麻 ama “linen, jute” as products of flax and hemp. Cf. 亜 a “come after” + 麻 ma “flax, hemp”. See syn.  a.sa 麻.
天  f/anthroponym; surname (O’Neill #93) (IJN)
亜麻  f/anthroponym
12.01.14 * 04.20.15


a.ri.su | アーリス (Arliss)
HT 118 (HT Scribe 3) (Toponyms)
This likely is a reference to Arles, France, which is situated on the Rhône River. Arles was an important Phoenician trading port when it was much closer to the Mediterranean coast. Moreover, Arles may have acted as a staging area for traffic along the river; indeed, this 505-mile European route was very important to the ancient Greeks, who brought goods and ideas to the Celtic tribes on the upper Rhône.  Alternate spellings, especially in surnames, may include Arliss and Arlys.
04.16.15


a.sa | あさ (asa)
a.sa | 麻 (asa) | flax (Linum usitatissimum), linseed; hemp (Cannabis sativa)
a.sa | 苧 (asa) | flax (Linum usitatissimum), linseed; hemp (Cannabis sativa
MA Wc 5 [missing] (MA Scribe unknown)
Cf. a.sa da.ka “flax quantity”.  Hallager [1996:177] transcribes a.sa.da.ka, but a.sa and da.ka are clearly inscribed on two lines. On this roundel, a.sa is supported by the counter for grain (GRA). Moreover, 麻 appears to be the determinative for flax in the syn. a.ma 亜麻.
12.09.14 * 04.20.15

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