Linear B: Word of the Day
𐀘 𐀏 𐀙
Mu ka na
Mycenae.
Through an inscription at Kom-al-Hetan dating from the time of Amenhotep III, we know the Egyptians referred to Mycenae as m-w-k-i-n-u, or Mukana. The Mycenaean Greeks would have written it as Mu-ka-na, as Linear B does not support diphthongs, but they would have said it as Mukānai, with the ā becoming ē at a later time.
Mukānai is not a Greek name; it is either pre-Greek Pelasgian or Minyan, which the Mycenaean Greeks kept when they inhabited the site. It's difficult to be sure, since, despite various legends, no one is absolutely certain how the site got its name.