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Amarna Letter EA 39
Amarna letter EA 39, titled: ''"Duty-Free"'', is a fairly short letter from the King of Alashiya (modern Cyprus). Almost half the letter, Para I, is a shortened ''greeting formula''. The letter is requesting the Pharaoh to let messengers pass freely, as they are also being represented as merchants; this also applies to their shipping. The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters. The letter EA 3: ''"Duty-Free"'' EA 38, letter number six of seven, from Alashiya. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation.) ''Obverse'' (see here :(Lines 1-9)–Say to the king of Egypt, my rotherr: Message of the king of Alašiya, your brother. For me all goes well, and for you may all go well. For your household, your chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akkadian Language
Akkadian (, Akkadian: )John Huehnergard & Christopher Woods, "Akkadian and Eblaite", ''The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages''. Ed. Roger D. Woodard (2004, Cambridge) Pages 218-280 is an extinct East Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia ( Akkad, Assyria, Isin, Larsa and Babylonia) from the third millennium BC until its gradual replacement by Akkadian-influenced Old Aramaic among Mesopotamians by the 8th century BC. It is the earliest documented Semitic language. It used the cuneiform script, which was originally used to write the unrelated, and also extinct, Sumerian (which is a language isolate). Akkadian is named after the city of Akkad, a major centre of Mesopotamian civilization during the Akkadian Empire (c. 2334–2154 BC). The mutual influence between Sumerian and Akkadian had led scholars to describe the languages as a '' Sprachbund''. Akkadian proper names were first attested in Sumerian texts from around the mid 3rd-mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LUGAL (king Sumerogram)
Lugal (Sumerian cuneiform, Sumerian: ) is the Sumerian language, Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man." In Sumerian, ''lu'' "𒇽" is "man" and ''gal'' "𒃲" is "great," or "big." It was one of several Sumerian titles that a ruler of a city-state could bear (alongside ''EN (cuneiform), en'' and ''Ensí, ensi'', the exact difference being a subject of debate). The sign eventually became the predominant logograph for "King" in general. In the Sumerian language, ''lugal'' is used to mean an owner (e.g. of a boat or a field) or a head (of a unit such as a family). As a cuneiform logograph (Sumerogram) LUGAL (Unicode cuneiform, Unicode: :Wikt:𒈗, 𒈗, rendered in Neo-Assyrian cuneiform, Neo Assyrian). Cuneiform The cuneiform sign LUGAL 𒈗 (Borger nr. 151, Unicode U+12217) serves as a determinative in cuneiform texts (Sumerian language, Sumerian, Akkadian language, Akkadian and Hittite language, Hittite), indicating that the following word is the na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Na (cuneiform)
The cuneiform na sign is a common, multi-use sign, a syllabic for ''na'', and an alphabetic sign used for ''n'', or ''a''; it is common in both the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' over hundreds of years, and the 1350 BC Amarna letters. In the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' it also has sumerogramic (capital letter (majuscule)) usage for NA. An example usage for ''NA'' in the Epic is for the spelling of ''NA.GAD'', (also '' LÚ.NA.GAD'', and the plural '' LÚ.NA.GAD. MEŠ''), for Akkadian language "nāqidu", ''"herdsman"''. The usage for ''NA'' in herdsman is only for 3 spellings. The commonness of cuneiform ''na'', in the top 25 used signs by Buccellati (Buccellati 1979), (2nd highest usage, exceeded by a: ''a (cuneiform)'') is because of usage for the spelling of ''a-na'' (Akkadian language "ana") -, the common preposition spelling for English language: ''to, for, by, of, at, etc.''. It is also a component for the Akkadian language preposition: ''i-na'' (''ina''), meaning: ''in, into, by, etc.''. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A (cuneiform)
The cuneiform sign 𒀀 ( DIŠ, DIŠ OVER DIŠ) for a, and in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' the sumerogram A, Akkadian for ''mû'', "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. Cuneiform ''a'' is the most common of the four vowels in the Akkadian language, ''a'', ''e'', ''i'', and ''u''. All vowels can be interchangeable, depending on the scribe, though spellings of Akkadian words in dictionaries, will be formalized, and typically: unstressed, a 'long-vowel', or thirdly, a 'combined' vowel (often spelled with two signs (same vowel, ending the first sign, and starting the next sign), thus combined into the single vowel, ''â'', ''ê'', ''î'', or ''û''.). Cuneiform ''a'' is the most common of the four vowels, as can be shown by usage in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', the usage numbers being (ú (u, no. 2) is more common than u, (no. 1), which has additional usages, numera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ta (cuneiform)
The cuneiform ta 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 TA, for example in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', for Akkadian language ''"ultu"'', English language for ''from'', or ''since'', but in only (1) location in the 12 tablet ''Epic of Gilgamesh''. Sumerogram ''TA'' is used elsewhere in the Epic, (7) more times. In the formation of words in text, ''ta'' can be a syllabic for "ta", or as a syllabic for ''t'', or ''a''. (It could also be used as a substitute for the other "t", ''"ṭ"''.) Amarna letters As an example of its usage in the Amarna letters, the photo shows a fragment from the front (obverse) of Amarna letter EA 26. The photo shows the lower-left corner of the clay tablet letter, but what is of interest is the isolated cuneiform characters next to the "double-scribed paragraph lines". The characters before the paragraph lines show the last line of Para I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qa (cuneiform)
The cuneiform sign qa, is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the ''Epic of Gilgamesh,'' and other cuneiform texts (for example Hittite texts). It has a secondary sub-use in the Amarna letters for ka4. Linguistically, it has the alphabetical usage in texts for ''q'', ''a'', or ''qa'', and also a replacement for ''"q"'', by ''k'', or ''g''. ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' usage The ''qa'' sign usage in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' is as follows: ''qa''-(109 times). References * Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. ''The Amarna Letters.'' Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. 393 pages.(softcover, ) * Parpola, 1971. ''The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh'', Parpola, Simo, Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project The Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project is an international scholarly project aimed at collecting and publishing ancient Assyrian texts and studies based on them. Its headquarters are in Helsinki in Finland. State Archives of Assyria State Archives ..., c 1997, Tabl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ir (cuneiform)
The cuneiform ir (more common usage), or er sign is a sign used in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Amarna letters. It is in a small group that have smaller, 3-verticals, as well as 2- and 1-vertical strokes, sitting on a lower horizontal cuneiform stroke. The sign is similar to the '' sa (cuneiform)'' sign, but sa's upper horizontal stroke is shorter than the lower anchored horizontal stroke. In the Amarna letters, it can also be confused with specific usages of ú-(the alphabetic u (by usage), Ú-1st prime– Ù-2nd prime is a complex, two-part large cuneiform sign, ="and", "but", or other conjunction meanings), as in Amarna letter EA 362, (Biridiya to Pharaoh). Amarna letters and Epic of Gilgamesh usage The twelve tablet (I-XII) Epic of Gilgamesh uses the er, and ir signs, 22 and 72 times. In the Epic, there are no other uses for the sign. For the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters, letter EA 365 authored by Biridiya, it is used for "er". For example, on the reverse of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
URU (city 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 (capital letter (majuscule)), 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", (11 times). 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,'' (Tablet XI 11). References * Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. ''The Amarna Letters.'' Johns ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ú (cuneiform)
The cuneiform sign ú is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the ''Epic of Gilgamesh,'' and other cuneiform texts (for example Hittite texts). It has a secondary sub-use in the Epic of Gilgamesh for šam. Linguistically, it has the alphabetical usage in texts for ''u'', but can replace any of the four vowels, so also used for ''a'', or ''e'', or ''i''. ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' usage The ''ú'' sign usage in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' is as follows: (''šam'', 45 times, ''ú'', 493, ''KÚŠ'', 2, and ''Ú'', 4 times).Parpola, 1971. ''The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh'', Sign List, pp. 155-165, sign no. 318, p. 160. ''Ú'' is logogram, for Akkadian "tullal", a ''soapwort''. šam syllabic use in the Epic of Gilgamesh The following words use the syllabic '' šam'' as the first syllable in the word entries under ''š'' in the glossary. #''šamhatu'', for English, ''"harlot"''. #''šamhiš'', ''"proudly, stoutly",''. #''šammmu'', ''"drug, plant, grass"''. References ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nu (cuneiform)
Cuneiform sign nu is a common use syllabic, or alphabetic (for ''n'' or ''u''). It is restricted to "nu", but in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', or elsewhere has a Sumerogram (capital letter, majuscule) use NU, and probably mostly for a component in personal names (PN), god's names, or specialized names for specific items that use Sumerograms. It is also a common use syllabic/alphabetic sign in the mid 14th-century BC Amarna letters. Since the letters often discuss 'present conditions' in regions, or in cities of the vassal Canaanite region, a segue adverb meaning ''"now"'', or ''now, at this time...,'' Akkadian language "enūma" is often used, and almost exclusively using ''nu''. The usage numbers for ''nu'' in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' are as follows: ''nu''-(317), ''NU''-(2). Two styles of "nu" sign Since the ''nu'' cuneiform sign is in a small category of "2-stroke" signs, it is interesting that there exist two simple varieties of the sign. After the first horizontal stroke ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
An (cuneiform)
The cuneiform an sign (or sumerogram AN, in Akkadian consisting of ASH 𒀸 and MAŠ 𒈦), is a common, multi-use sign, a syllabic for ''an'', and an alphabetic sign used for ''a'', or ''n''; it is common in both the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' over hundreds of years, and the 1350 BC Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. It is also used for the designation of a "god", and is sometimes represented as a superscript: d, or capitalized: D, for " dingir", English language, "god". The example photo at right shows (2nd list), a list of 14 named gods, all with "an"; the first pair on the list ''AN-UTU'', or DUTU, refers to the "sun-god", using Ud (cuneiform), as the sumerogram, namely UTU (sun Sumerogram). Cuneiform ''an'' can also be found in compound form with another cuneiform sign, an example being DAGAL, . The older version of DAGAL used the 'god symbol' as a star within the sign: ; (older version of DAGAL, incorporating "star": ). ''Epic of Gilgamesh'' usage In the ''Epic of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
