The Merchant’s Tablet

Merchant’s inventory
Scribe 124

.1  wo-de-wi-jo
.2
.3
.4
.5  to-pe-za , o-u-ki-te-mi  +
.6
.7
.8
.9
.10
.11  a-pe-ti-ra2  o-u-te-mi  +
.12  o-u-te-mi  +
.13  o-u-te-mi  +
.14  o-u-te-mi  +
.15  e-pi , i-ku-wo-i-pi

1. + = ro || from ku.ro “to count” | *plus [+]
2. a-pe-ti-ri.ja | ηπήτρια (epetria) | cobbler, mender  [in context, may pertain to leather product]
3. e-pi | Ἆπι(ς) (Apis) | Apian, Appian
4. i-ku-wo-i-pi | † ἰχύωἵππι (ikhuoippi) | † stronghorse
5. o-u-ki-te-mi | † οὐχιταμι (oukhitami) | † uncut, undivided (for distribution)
6. o-u-te-mi | † οὐταμι | † uncut, undivided (for distribution)  [abbrev. of prev.]
7. to-pe-za |  † τοπαζη (topaze) | † yellow or Asian topaz
8. wo-de-wi-jo | ὁδαῖο(ς) (odaios) | merchandise; that for which a merchant travels

.1  ὁδαῖο

• Merchant’s Inventory

.2
.3
.4
.5  † τοπαζη  † οὐχιταμι  +

• undivided or undistributed topaz +

.6
.7
.8
.9
.10
.11  ηπήτρια † οὐχιταμι +

• undistributed leather goods

.12 † οὐταμι  +

• undistributed (leather goods) +

.13 † οὐταμι  +

• undistributed (leather goods) +

.14  † οὐταμι +

• undistributed (leather goods) +

.15  Ἆπι † ἰχύωἵππι

• Appian stronghorse or strong Appian horse

Notes: 

In this tablet, AB *002 RO is typically transcribed as “X”, but the sign’s association with accounting provides strong evidence for its basis as the mathematical “+” sign, the meaning of which may be “to increase”. Cf. ku.ro (attested as “total”), which appears to be a LinB form in a LinA context; the LinA word would be written *ku.ru, which agrees with Jap. 繰る kuru “to count”.

Note that initial /ku/ is transformed in the rough breathing of hRO. Another instance of this transformation is found in ku.ru.ma > 車 kuruma “carriage, chariot” and ῥύμα (hruma) “that which is drawn”.

The Appian Way was known for its horses.  Cf. “stronghorse” with the rare Jap. kanji 馬必 hitsu “strong horse”, which is derived from 馬 uma “horse” and 必 hitsu “inevitable”.

Updated on 04 Feb 2015 * 13 Jan 2017