Eli5 How are ancient languages deciphered? Specifically, how was the Mycenaean Greek deciphered?

Question

Eli5 How are ancient languages deciphered? Specifically, how was the Mycenaean Greek deciphered?

In: 8

Answer 1

[Look up the Rosetta stone.](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/rosetta-stone-hieroglyphs-champollion-decipherment-egypt-180980834/) It had the same passage in hieroglyphs and two other languages. Very very useful. Still took 20 years to decipher.

Generally though, you need to have some additional knowledge. The meaning of certain nouns or phrases. Similar languages, etc. You can’t assume that the grammar, even concepts of nouns or articles, is familiar to you. For animals like whales, they can recognize patterns (the same ‘phrases’ over and over) and try to associate those sounds whatever else we observe. From there you can infer meaning.