# JU > Linear A syllabic JU, proposed: lu. A page of the Linear A Lexicon's research wiki, in [Wiki]() › [Kaphtor Lexicon]() › [Signs]() › [Syllabic signs](). Updated 2026-10-24. **Status: proposed.** A proposed value. Evidence: l and d 17/20, r 15/20; the /ra/ elimination assumes no repeated sign, against SA-RA-RA (HT30). l reads all 4 context words; yu possible in JU-KU-NA (KNZc6) and the endings ## Phonetic value | Field | Value | |---|---| | Value | /lu/ | | Alternates | /la/, /yu/ | | Linear B | no Linear B counterpart recorded | | Neutralization class | R | ### Alternate values | Value | Evidence | | --- | --- | | /la/ | Vowel coloring uncertain—root identification confirms /l/ regardless of inherent vowel | | /yu/ | Second value of the same sign, not a rival: JU is a palatal liquid, /ʎu/ ~ /lʸu/. KNZc6 JU-KU-NA = yukūna 'shall be established' (√k-w-n, DULAT 442); A-RA-JU = ᵘʳᵘA-ra-yu (RGTC 12/2, 30); Linear B \*65 = ju (Melena 2014, 16). l stays primary. | ### Forms cited for the value - DA-JU-TE = dalate "door" (√d-l-t)—unique to /l/, no alternative consonant produces a root - SU-JU-TA = šalāṭa "to rule" (√š-l-ṭ)—unique to /l/ - Co-occurrence proof: JU ≠ RA (JU-RA in same word, HT80); JU ≠ RU (PI-RU-E-JU, PH2) ### Note Second /l/-sign alongside RA₂ (AB76). Possibly vowel-distinguished: RA₂ = /la/, JU = /lu/. Both fill the L/R distinction gap needed by Semitic substrate. \|\| Position rule: (a) standalone JU + numeral/fraction in a list (ARKH4a, HT68, HT97a, HT108, ZA11a) = commodity ABBREVIATION, gloss 'flour (commodity)' Candidate—a GORILA positional gloss, not acrophonic (no Semitic flour word is /l/-initial); mark '\[commodity?\]' where ambiguous. (b) standalone JU without quantity, separator-delimited votive context (KNZb4 'JU 𐄁 JA-SI 𐄁 SI') = syllabic /lu/—dedicatory preposition l(u) 'to/for' or asseverative lū, Candidate. (c) word-internal JU = /lu/ or /yu/ (below). \*ḳamḥ- 'flour' for KE-JU-MI stays rejected (unaccounted l). \|\| JU writes a palatal liquid, /ʎu/ ~ /lʸu/: lu in Semitic roots (DA-JU-TE, SU-JU-TA), yu where the word needs the glide (KNZc6 JU-KU-NA yukūna, √k-w-n, DULAT 442; the endings -iyyu, -y, KU-RE-JU beside KU-RE; A-RA-JU ʾArāyu = ᵘʳᵘA-ra-yu, RGTC 12/2, 30). It is the u-member of RA₂'s series: Linear B \*76 ra₂ = /rya, lya/ and ro₂ = /ryo, lyo/, 'liquid yodized resonants', \*76 'already attested in Linear A' (Melena 2014, 63); Linear A had 'a series of post-palatalized and post-labialized consonants' (Palaima 2020, 8). Linear B took JU over as \*65, which writes both ju and zu (Melena 2014, 16), and renders Linear A JU words with a glide: ku-ma-ju > ka-ma-jo, qa-ti-ju > qa-ti-ja (Davis 2026, 162–163). ## Lexicon words written with this sign | Word | Proposed reading | Confidence | |---|---|---| | A-JU | Ḥayyu | Speculative | | A-RA-JU | ʾArāyu | Speculative | | DA-JU-TE | dalut | Candidate | | DE-JU-KU | Dalqu | Speculative | | I-KU-JU-TI | ʾukulti | Speculative | | JU+\*317+QE | | Confirmed | | KA-JU | kallû | Speculative | | KU-MA-JU | Qumalu | Speculative | | KU-RE-JU | Kulelu | Candidate | | PI-RU-E-JU | Pirʾu-ʾēlu | Speculative | | QA-TI-JU | Qātilu | Speculative | | SA-RE-JU | Šarr-ēlu | Speculative | | SU-JU-TA | sulta | Candidate | | TU-JU-MA | Tuʿlum | Speculative | | U-JU | ʿūlū | Speculative | | ZU-JU-PU₂ | ṯulpu | Candidate | ## Linked from - [Syllabic signs]() --- Page: https://linear-a.ai/wiki/lexicon/signs/syllabic/JU/ Licence: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cite as: di Mino, Tom. 2026. Linear A Lexicon. Plasma AI. https://linear-a.ai/. Data: kaphtor, commit add28e94.