Akkadian Addenda · Signs
ear
| Name | PI |
|---|---|
| Reads | [wa/wi] |
| Means | ear; the w Sumerian never wrote |
| Taught in | 06 · If a man… |
Where it comes from
An ear — so the lists identify the shape, and Sumerian used it in words of hearing and wisdom. Akkadian faced a problem Sumerian never had: a real w sound with no sign to write it. The scribes’ fix was this sign — the ear was drafted to carry wa and wi, and the most important noun in Babylonian law, awīlum, “man,” has it standing second.
How to remember it
An ear hears the witness — and every awīlum in every law is someone the court must hear. The man of the laws carries an ear in the middle of his name.
In the wild
urn:nabu:cdli:p464358:a:324 · license: attribution.
Taught in 103’s chapter 06.