Minoan

Meanings

Adjective

• Of or relating to the civilization that developed in Crete from the neolithic period to the Bronze Age (about 3000-1050 ).
• Of or relating to the writing systems (Linear A and Linear B) used in Crete and later in mainland Greece.
• Of or relating to the ancient language of the Minoans which died out by the beginning of the 1st millennium .

Noun

• A person who belonged to the Minoan civilization.

Proper Noun

• the language written in Linear A

Origin

• Sir Arthur Evans, not knowing the Minoan term for at the time, coined this name in the early 20th century, from Ancient Greek Μίνως, the mythical king of Crete. The actual name is probably reflected in Egyptian kftyw (perhaps reconstructible as *Káftayu) and Ancient Hebrew כַּפְתּוֹר.