Gi (cuneiform)

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Cuneiform for ge, gi, and GI; digitized form. B141ellst.png
Cuneiform for ge, gi, and GI; digitized form.
Hittite cuneiform for ge, gi, and GI. B141 Hittite gi.jpg
Hittite cuneiform for ge, gi, and GI.
EA 26, fragment (Obverse).
(high-resolution expandable photo)
(Last flat-surface 5-lines on fragment (Para IV), lines 30-34.
(An Amarna letter that uses gi.) Amarna letter fragment, from King Tushratta of Mitanni to Queen Tiy (Teye) of Egypt, matching fragment in British Museum - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago - DSC07018.JPG
EA 26, fragment (Obverse).
(high-resolution expandable photo)
(Last flat-surface 5-lines on fragment (Para IV), lines 30–34.
(An Amarna letter that uses gi.)

The cuneiform gi sign is a common multi-use sign of the Epic of Gilgamesh , the 1350 BC Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. It also has a sumerogrammic usage for GI in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The structure of the cuneiform sign is like its twin, Zi (cuneiform), B140ellst.png .

The "gi" sign has the syllabic usage for ge and gi, and a sumerogram usage for GI. Alphabetically "gi" can be used for g ("g" can be interchanged with "k", or "q"); and "gi"/"ge" can be used for i, or e. In Akkadian, all 4 vowels, a, e, i, u are interchangeable with each other.

Epic of Gilgamesh usage

The gi sign usage in the Epic of Gilgamesh is as follows: ge-(4 times); gi-(17), GI-(20 times). [1]

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Ma (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

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A (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign 𒀀 for a, and in the Epic of Gilgamesh the sumerogram A, Akkadian for , "water", which is used in the Gilgamesh flood myth, Chapter XI of the Epic, or other passages. The sign is also used extensively in the Amarna letters.

Ri (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

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DAGAL Cuneiform sign

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I (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform i sign is a common use vowel sign. It can be found in many languages, examples being the Akkadian language of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the mid 14th-century BC Amarna letters; also the Hittite language-(see table of Hittite cuneiform signs below).

LÚ Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign is the sign used for "man"; its complement is the symbol for woman: šal. Cuneiform , is found as a Sumerogram in the Epic of Gilgamesh. It also has a common usage in the 1350 BC Amarna letters as the Sumerogram for "man".

URU (Sumerogram)

The cuneiform sign URU is a relatively distinctive sign in the cuneiform sign lists; with its two verticals at the sign's right, and the central long horizontal stroke, it is not easily confused with other signs. It is commonly found in the intrigues of the 14th century BC Amarna letters since the letters often concern city-state locations, or surrounding regions or cities/towns. URU is also used in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The cuneiform sign is almost exclusively used as a Sumerogram, and in the Akkadian language, it is the Akkadian for "ālu", city, or town. The usage of URU in the Epic of Gilgamesh is only for Sumerogram "URU",. All uses in the Epic for URU are for various spellings of ālu, and usually an added sign complement; there is one usage in the Epic of URU for the city Shuruppak: URU.Šu-ri-ip-pak,.

Mi (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform mi, sign is a distinctive sign in the wedge-stroke group, and is used as a syllabic for mi, me, and an alphabetic for m, i, or e; it is also a Sumerogram for MI, used for Akkadian language, "mūšu", night. MI, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, is used in (Chapters) Tablets I, II, III, and XII as either MI, or MI.MEŠ, a total of six times; other spellings of mūšu in other sections are alphabetic/syllabic, four times.

Ib (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign ib, is a common-use sign in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. Its common usage is syllabic for ib, or alphabetic for i or b/p; the "i" is also exchanged for "e" when spelling specific words in the Akkadian language. Cuneiform ib also can be found as sumerogram URTA,, and for example it is used in the Epic of Gilgamesh for the god's name: Ninurta, spelled DNIN.URTA.

Ni (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign ni is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and other cuneiform texts. It has a secondary sub-use in the Amarna letters for addressing the Pharaoh, from the vassal states of Canaan. The address to the Pharaoh is often 'King-Lord-Mine': LUGAL, EN-ia which has many varieties of expression. "LUGAL" is Akkadian language for "Šarru", English "king", and EN in Akkadian is bēlu, for "Lord",. In some Amarna letters the sub-use of ni is , for spelling "bēlu", be-lí often .

Ši Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign ši, lim, and Sumerogram IGI is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and other cuneiform texts. As the syllabic form it is commonly used for ši, lim/lem, and for Sumerograms, it is most commonly used for IGI, and "before". Also, for ši and lim/lem it can be used syllabically for š, i, l, i/e, and m, in the spelling of words.

Giš Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform giš sign,, is a common, multi-use sign, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. It also has a major usage as a sumerogram, GIŠ, for English language "wood", and is used as a determinative at the beginning of words, for items made of wood. The 12 Chapters (Tablets) of the Epic of Gilgamesh lists 16 named items beginning with "GIŠ".

Di (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform di sign, also de, ṭe, ṭi, and sumerograms DI and is a common-use sign of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the 1350 BC Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. In the Akkadian language for forming words, it can be used syllabically for: de, di, ṭe, and ṭi; also alphabetically for letters d, , e, or i. Some consonant-pairs (d/t), are also interchangeable.

Du (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform du sign, also kup, and sumerograms DU and GUB, is a common-use sign of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the 1350 BC Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. In the Akkadian language for forming words, it can be used syllabically for: du, or kup ; also alphabetically for letters d, u, k, or p. It is also true in the Akkadian language, that some consonants are paired, thus the relationship between kup, and sumerogram GUB is explained (k/G).

Sa (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sa sign is a less common-use sign of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the 1350 BC Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. It also has a sumerogrammic usage for SA in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The structure of the cuneiform sign is similar to, Ir (cuneiform), .

Qa (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign qa, is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and other cuneiform texts. It has a secondary sub-use in the Amarna letters for ka4.

Mu (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign mu, is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and other cuneiform texts. It is also used as MU.

Zi (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform zi sign is a common multi-use sign of the Epic of Gilgamesh, the 1350 BC Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. It also has a sumerogrammic usage for ZI in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The structure of the cuneiform sign is like its twin, Gi (cuneiform), .

Iš (cuneiform) Cuneiform sign

The cuneiform sign is a common use sign in the Amarna letters and the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is used syllabically for ; also for mel, mil, and a Sumerogramic usage for . Alphabetically as "iš", its most common usage, it can be used for "i" or "š". In Akkadian, the four vowels a, e, i, o, are all interchangeable, and the three different "s", can also be interchanged: s, ṣ, š.

References

  1. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh , Sign List, pp. 155-165, no. 085, p. 156, "gi".