On Fri, 23 May 2003 21:08:02 +0000, Glen Gordon
<
glengordon01@...> wrote:
>The fact that Greek used the syllabary is irrelevant to the fact that
>_two_ languages (at least) are being recorded -- one Greek, another
>waaaay-not Greek. The Amathusan text is NOT Greek and I defy
>you translate the entire passage meaningfully using Greek words
>and Greek grammar. You can't.
It's not my aim to translate it. I have a much easier job, namely to
assess attempts at translation from others.
The first thing one notices when seeing Gordon's and Gordon's attempts
at translation is the failure to recognize that the name
A-ri-si-to-no-se is exactly the Cypriot spelling of Greek Aristo:nos.
Cyrus thinks the -se is a Semitic article, Glen thinks -ose is an
Etruscoid genitive (the Etruscan genitive is -s, probably from *-si).
The second thing one notices is the way that the absence of the
place-name Amathous in the syllabic text is addressed. Cyrus doesn't
(perhaps he does in "Evidence...", which I haven't seen). Glen,
translates mu-ku-la-i as "in Amathus" (presumably equating Mokhlos in
Crete with Amathous in Cyprus). I think my suggestion of Amuklai
(near Sparta) ~ Phoenician Mukl is rather more interesting.
=======================
Miguel Carrasquer Vidal
mcv@...