Sumerian Addenda Β· Signs
fate
| Name | NAM |
|---|---|
| Reads | [nam] |
| Means | fate, destiny; abstract-noun prefix |
| Taught in | 03 Β· Say it twice β doubling and nam- |
Where it comes from
Its pictorial origin is stated variously across the sign lists β the job matters more than the etymology. Nam is fate, destiny; and prefixed to a concrete word it builds the abstraction: nam-lugal, kingship; nam-ti, life; nam-mah, majesty. The gods decide fates by cutting them β nam tar.
How to remember it
Fate is the -ness of things: put nam- in front and a king becomes kingship, a life becomes Life. Fate is what you get when the concrete is lifted one shelf up β and the gods keep the knife.
In the wild
urn:nabu:etcsl:2.1.7:1 Β· license: ETCSL Β·
non-commercial.
Piece by piece:
- ud β on the day
- an ki-a β in heaven and earth
- nam tar-re-da β when destinies were being cut
The first line of the greatest Sumerian building hymn opens with fate on the cutting table. It opens 102βs chapter 17.