Ancient Script from Cyprus, Deciphered as Japanese
July 05, 2024
Mizuhiro Kuroda
On the strength of my conclusions that ancient script from
the Minoan civilization recorded the Japanese language, in
2022, I turned my attention to ancient script from Cyprus,
considered to be offshoots of Linear A. My intuition was that
they, too, could be written in the Japanese language. Now I
believe there is strong evidence that texts in Cypro-Minoan
and the Cypriot syllabary can be read as Japanese.
However, it may not be easy to convince people that this is
true, for the common bias that, an ancient script should
reflect a language native to the country or to that region from
where the text was found.
In the case of Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Rosetta Stone
played a key role in decipherment, and the written language
was found to be closely related to Coptic, spoken within
Egypt.
For Linear B, the texts were found on Crete, Pylos, and other
places in Greece, and the background language was
determined to be a dialect of ancient Greek.
Accordingly, conventional thinkers may conclude that, by
analogy, ancient texts from Cyprus must be written in a
language native to Cyprus or the eastern Mediterranean.
In fact, in 1979, J. Chadwick, one of the decipherers of Linear
B, saw similarities between ancient script from Cyprus and
Japanese writing. However, he dismissed any connection,
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citing it as mere coincidence, given the lack of geographical
proximity. (Source: G. Owens)
However, if ancient texts from Cyprus are successfully
deciphered as Japanese, this could significantly benefit
relations between the two countries, and one should exercise
patience in continuing this new research and in presenting the
findings.
I. Stability of the Japanese Language
One of the most intriguing aspects is that, with certain
tenacity as a native Japanese speaker, I was able to decipher
ancient texts from Cyprus as Japanese, with the simple
knowledge of modern Japanese and Japanese classics that
date back to the Nara period. This is attributable to the
following factors:
1. According to Shichiro Murayama, in "The Origin of the
Japanese Language" (1973), the Japanese archipelago
did not experience any dramatic invasion by other ethnic
groups and, consequently, change in the Japanese
language has been gradual, with no major discontinuity
between modern Japanese and Japanese from the 8th
century (Nara period). Even the Japanese from around
2000-2500 years ago (Late Jomon - Yayoi period) can be
reconstructed.
2. If ancient and modern Japanese are compared, there
has been no significant change in word order or
grammar. The main differences are primarily in
pronunciation and vocabulary.
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II. Common Features
1. Syllabic Systems
In ancient scripts that can be deciphered as Japanese,
whether they originate from Cyprus or Crete, the symbols
basically represent open syllables (Consonant + Vowel).
2. Combined Symbols
In Linear A, symbols representing 2 syllables frequently
appear; in Indus script, there are symbols that represent 2 to
4 syllables. The same applies to the Cypriot syllabary, where
combined symbols have been encountered during
decipherment.
3. Reversible Reading
The ancient texts of Cyprus can be read from right to left and
vice versa to tell a story in Japanese, and this provided a form
of entertainment. Such texts, written to make sense in both
directions, may have been customary in Japan too, as inner-
circle amusement.
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Even today, it is entirely possible to write sentences that can
be read in both directions using Hiragana alone, and this is
popular among students to this day.
4. Manga
Visual clues, such as accompanying cartoons and the odd
shape of objects, provide the most convincing evidence on
the correctness of text interpretations as Japanese. The
frequent use of such “manga” suggests a connection with
Japanese culture and traditions.
5. Vowels and Consonants
(1) Vowels and Consonants
According to Western researchers, the vowels in Cypriot
syllabic scripts are A, E, I, O, U. The consonants consist of the
following:
J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, W, X, Z
L and R are not distinguished in Linear A, but in the Cypriot
syllabary, they are separate, perhaps for the purpose of
writing Greek.
Additionally, in the Cypriot syllabary, the symbol for T also
serves as D.
Cf. In modern Japanese, the vowels are, A, E, I, O, U, and the
consonants, H, K, M, N, R, S, T, W, Y.
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During the Nara period, the H sound was pronounced as
F/P, so if H is replaced with F/P and Y is written as J, this
becomes:
J, K, M, N, F/P, R, S, T, W
This basically matches the consonants of the Cypriot
syllabary, albeit without the L, X, and Z sounds that were
added, presumably, to record the Greek language.
(2) Absence of NG
In ancient scripts from the eastern Mediterranean, such as
the Cypriot syllabary, there is no symbol for ん (NG), and for
decipherment, it must be appropriately supplemented.
6. I, YA, SI, NO, Rule
For the ancient scripts from Cyprus, the word separator "・" is
often shorthand for I,YA,SI, or NO. This rule is extended to
bars or line segments, purposefully added on to standard
symbols.
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Ancient Scripts of Cyprus (Supplement)
The ancient scripts of Cyprus, in comparison to other
ancient scripts, are particularly effective and convenient for
the purpose of decipherment and verification as Japanese.
The following points highlight their utility:
1. Bilingual Text
Among the ancient scripts decipherable in Japanese, only
the Cyprus syllabic script has a bilingual text, written in
Greek and the Cypriot syllabary. When deciphered as
Japanese, the inscription in Cyprus syllabary proved to be a
much-shortened version of the content in Greek.
2. Lengthy Texts
The ancient texts from Cyprus tend to be longer than those
from Crete or from the Indus Valley. Consequently, once the
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context is understood, decipherment into Japanese is
facilitated and proof reading becomes easier. (The
challenge may lie in the lack of standardization, with unique
styles from different scribes.)
3. Evidence in Cartoons
Both the Cypriot-Minoan script and Cypriot syllabary can
be deciphered as Japanese and, in many cases, the context
can be checked against visual evidence including cartoons
(manga).
(1) Cypriot-Minoan Script
The cylindrical seal discovered in Enkomi (No. 19.10)
describes a stay in Alashiya. The setting is a health resort
endowed with forests of trees of different varieties, and
where one can enjoy casino games at night. The cylindrical
shape of the seal is in the likeness of a cross-section of a
tree trunk; it could also represent a tool used in a casino
game, such as a basket for mixing dice or balls, marked
with symbols.
(2) Cypriot Syllabary
(a) Among the ancient scripts of the Mediterranean that
record the Japanese language, the Cypriot syllabary is the
one that survived longest, until the third century BCE,
marking the beginning of the Hellenistic age. Hence, there
should likely remain the most evidence that the background
language is Japanese.
(b) A limestone object in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in
New York, with a projection to one side (search images with,
Met Art Cypriot Syllabary), reveals two comic faces when
turned 90 degrees counterclockwise, taking a hint from the
words in the inscription, "vertically, drop."
