Sumerian Addenda · Signs
thing
| Name | GAR |
|---|---|
| Reads | [niŋ], gar |
| Means | thing, property (niŋ2); to place (gar) |
| Taught in | 09 · Let me eat, let me drink |
Where it comes from
Two working readings: as niŋ2 it is “thing, property” — the thing-maker prefix, doing for concrete stuff what nam- does for abstractions (niŋ2-ba, “a thing allotted”: a gift). As gar it is “to place, to set.” A ration or portion by origin — the GAR inside KA×GAR is this sign, being eaten.
How to remember it
A thing is whatever can be set down on the table — and this sign does both: names the stuff (niŋ2) and sets it in place (gar). If you can stack it, count it, or gift it, it starts here.
In the wild
urn:nabu:cdli:p010008:obverse:3:1 ·
license: attribution.
Piece by piece:
- niŋ2 — a thing
- -ba — allotted, frozen into the noun
A gift is a thing-shared — the archive’s own etymology of generosity. The word is read in 102’s chapter 09.