Linear A Sign A642

As of 2026, A642 has no secure standalone reading.

The Linear A corpus entry places 𐜢 on clay tablet PH 8b, line 3, outside a transcribed word. It classifies the sign as a logogram—a sign for a whole word—but lists only a proposed value, not one verified against the inscription. As of 2026, the language written in Linear A—often called Minoan—remains undeciphered. The label identifies which sign an editor means; it does not tell you how to pronounce it.

How was Linear A used, and where did it come from?

Linear A probably developed on Crete.

Its earliest surviving evidence is placed in the 18th century BCE, with early finds concentrated at Phaistos. The script likely drew on broader Near Eastern writing principles. Clay tablets recorded goods in palace administration; sealings—clay impressions left by seals—also served administration. Inscribed offering tables and other objects show cultic and practical uses. Linear B later replaced Linear A in palace administration and is treated as its descendant. Cretan Hieroglyphic overlapped in time; shared bookkeeping signs suggest exchange, not direct descent. Cypro-Minoan and later Cypriot syllabaries show contact, and descent from Linear A is considered probable.

What is the link between A642 and A318?

One sign catalogue lists A318 as part of A642.

The SigLA project, a catalogue of Linear A signs, represents 𐜢 as 𐙪 plus an unidentified component. As of 2026, Unicode's Names List also cross-references 𐙪 as related but does not explain the exact connection. That catalogue link does not give A642 an ancient reading.