Sumerian Addenda · Signs
toward
| Name | RA |
|---|---|
| Reads | [ra] |
| Means | [ra] (dative marker in context) |
| Taught in | 02 · The case that hides |
Where it comes from
Pictorial origin not transparent — a grammar workhorse from its first appearance, with no picture to lean on. Hung on a person’s name or title, -ra is the dative: “to, for (someone).” Gifts, prayers, and dedications all travel on it.
How to remember it
Toward someone: the sign leans its wedges forward like a messenger already moving. When you meet -ra, someone is about to receive something — find out who.
In the wild
urn:nabu:cdli:p216741 · license:
attribution.
Piece by piece:
- ama — mother
- diŋir-re-ne — of the gods
- -ra — for her: the dative sealing the address
A whole temple, handed over on one syllable of direction. The dedication is read in 102’s chapter 12.