Akkadian Addenda · Signs
scent
| Name | IR |
|---|---|
| Reads | [ir/er] |
| Means | scent, perfume in the lists |
| Taught in | 01 · Spelling sound by sound |
Where it comes from
The lists associate it with scent and perfume — stated, not certain. In Akkadian hands it does double duty: the same sign writes both ir and er, because Old Babylonian spelling tolerated a blur between i and e that the language itself often made. Context settles which you are hearing; the sign doesn’t care.
How to remember it
A scent drifts — you can’t pin it to one spot, and this sign won’t be pinned to one vowel. Catch the general direction (r, front vowel) and follow the word to its meaning.
In the wild
urn:nabu:cdli:p464358:a:309 · license: attribution.
Taught in 103’s chapter 01.