Sumerian Addenda · Signs
cry
| Name | I |
|---|---|
| Reads | [i] |
| Means | the bare vowel i; the cry of laments (i-lu) |
| Taught in | 11 · A dedication, for real |
Where it comes from
Five wedges for one small sound: the bare vowel i. It spells names and professions, and doubled it writes the verb “to bring forth, to proclaim.” The laments’ own wail, i-lu, opens on it — the script’s plainest cry.
How to remember it
A cry is the smallest word there is — one vowel, thrown into the air. Five wedges stacked like the breath behind a shout; when grief or proclamation needs a sound before it needs a word, this is the sign.
In the wild
urn:nabu:cdli:p010501:reverse:5:10 ·
license: attribution.
Piece by piece:
- šu — hand
- i — this sign, closing the trade’s name
Humbler work than lamenting: the bare vowel finishing “barber” on a roster. The title is read in 102’s chapter 11.