AI Tackles Undeciphered Languages Like Linear A and Etruscan
Ars Technica AI · rss · 2026-07-29
Deciphering ancient languages typically requires an anchor, such as a bilingual text like the Rosetta Stone, or a known linguistic relative. However, Linear A, the writing system of the Minoan civilization, is a "language isolate" with no confirmed link to any known language, posing a century-long challenge for linguists.
The article explores how artificial intelligence can be applied to decipher such lost languages. Similarly, while a partial vocabulary of Etruscan has been gathered from funerary inscriptions, its grammar and deeper meaning remain elusive. AI offers new breakthroughs in areas where traditional linguistics has stalled.
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