Ù (cuneiform)



The cuneiform ù sign ('u, no. 3'), is found in both the 14th century BC Amarna letters and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Its use is as a conjunction, (translated as for example: and, but, else, until, etc.), but rarely it is substituted for alphabetic u, but that vowel u is typically represented by 'u, no. 2', (u prime), ú; occasionally 'u, no. 1', (u (cuneiform)),, (mostly used for a conjunction, and numeral 10), is also substituted for the "alphabetic u".

The use of ù is often as a "stand-alone" conjunction, for example between two listed items, but it is used especially as a segue in text, (example Amarna letters), when changing topics, or when inserting segue-pausing positions. In the Amarna letters, it is also commonly immediately followed by a preposition: a-na, or i-na, used as "...And, to....", or "...And, in...."; also "...But, for....", etc. This usage with a preposition is also a better example of the segue usage.

Of the three u's, by graphemic analysis (Buccellati, 1979), the commonness is as follows:


 * ù (cuneiform), conjunction only (but also rare, for alphabetic "u")
 * ú (cuneiform), alphabetic 'u'
 * u (cuneiform), alphabetic (minor), 10, conjunction (highest use)

Both "ù (cuneiform)" and ú are in the top 25 most used signs, but E (cuneiform) and "u (cuneiform)" are not; other vowels (or combination) in the 25 are: a (cuneiform), i (cuneiform), and ia (cuneiform), (ia which has a secondary use as suffix, "-mine", or "my", thus in top 25 most used signs). Suffix "iYa" is used in the Middle East\Southwest Asia at present day to end placenames, or other names: "My Xxxxx".

Usage numbers of ù in the Epic of Gilgamesh is as follows: ù-(84); Buccellati's usage numbers (330 Amarna letters) is (1848).

Amarna letter varieties
Scribal variants of ù exist, and especially in the Amarna letters. At least one Amarna letter, EA 367, (Pharaoh to Endaruta), has an atypical variant, but the entire letter has somewhat unusual cuneiform signs. (gáb(káp)-(4 uses), tá, and a variant form of um) ("um" also =ṭup, also in the letter, for "clay tablet"-(tuppu), etc.)


 * Cuneiform-Ù--(EA 367-scribe variant)---[[Image:C+B-Babylonia-CuneiformImage15.PNG|100x24px]]-(plus added-[[Image:C+B-Persia-Cuneiform10.PNG|100x24px]], covering up the (2)-3 horizontals, (and one added horizontal), as a complete replacement, instead of the horizontals!). The resultant is: wedge+Vertical+wedge+Vertical! (takes up same amount of clay tablet line-space)

Partial list of signs beginning with wedge (u)
Partial list of signs beginning with u-(wedge), from the Epic of Gilgamesh (Parpola, 1971), and the Amarna letters:


 * Cuneiform-u--Sign No. 1---[[Image:C+B-Persia-Cuneiform10.PNG|100x24px]]-(conjunction use, and "10"; occasionally for u)
 * Cuneiform-AMAR, ṣur, zur--Sign No. 2---[[Image:Cuneiform UL.png|100x24px]]; Sumerogram: See!-(AMAR) (Akkadian language, "amāru", to see, behold) -(Note: minus the vertical stroke)
 * Cuneiform-di--Sign No. 3---[[Image:C+B-Babylonia-CuneiformImage15.PNG|100x24px]]
 * Cuneiform-ki--Sign No. 4---[[Image:C+B-Assyria-CuneiformImage5.PNG|100x24px]]
 * Cuneiform-mi-(Sign 5)
 * Cuneiform-ši--Sign No. 6---[[Image:C+B-Persia-Cuneiform10.PNG|100x24px]][[Image:C+B-Persia-Cuneiform1.PNG|100x24px]][[Image:C+B-Babylonia-CuneiformImage2.PNG|100x24px]]
 * Cuneiform-ši, lim, or IGI ("in 'face' of", "before" Sumerogram)--Sign No. 6---[[Image:Abdi-Ashirta written in cuneiform.PNG|175x42px]]--(Abdi-Ashirta), Abdi-A-Ši-iR-Ta, (wedge-sign, 4th sign)
 * Cuneiform-u--Sign No. u-1---[[Image:C+B-Persia-Cuneiform10.PNG|100x24px]]
 * Cuneiform-ú--Sign No. u-2---[[Image:E-bitu Cuneiform.svg|100x24px]]-(approximate: only 3 verticals for ú, (the common alphabetic u))
 * Cuneiform-ù-(u-3)--Sign No. 7---[[Image:C+B-Assyria-CuneiformImage5.PNG|100x24px]]
 * (With an added horizontal, [[Image:B001ellst.png|100x24px]], after the left vertical)

Also:


 * Cuneiform-ar, (Shuwardata of Amarna letter EA 282)
 * Cuneiform-ar--[[Image:C+B-Persia-Cuneiform10.PNG|100x24px]][[Image:C+B-Persia-Cuneiform1.PNG|100x24px]][[Image:C+B-Babylonia-CuneiformImage2.PNG|100x24px]][[Image:B142ellst.png|100x24px]]..(=ši + ri)
 * Cuneiform-nim-(nem, nim, num, and Sumerograms NIM, NUM) (EA 34)