Sumerian Addenda · Signs
arrow
| Name | TI |
|---|---|
| Reads | [ti] |
| Means | arrow; by rebus, life — the textbook rebus pair |
| Taught in | 04 · The verbal chain, lightly |
Where it comes from
An arrow — and the textbook rebus pair of the whole discipline: ti “arrow” and ti(l) “life” sounded close enough in Sumerian that the arrow sign was drafted to write “to live.” Every dedication “for his life” fires this arrow. It also serves in the receipt verb šu … ti, “to receive” — literally to make something approach the hand.
How to remember it
An arrow in flight is the fastest thing a Sumerian ever saw — and life is the thing that flies. Four wedges, fletching and point; aim it at nam- and you get Life itself.
In the wild
urn:nabu:cdli:p216741 · license:
attribution.
Piece by piece:
- nam-ti — life: the arrow inside the abstraction
- -la-ni-še3 — his … for: glue, possessor, purpose-rope
The most repeated purpose in Sumerian building texts, and an arrow carries it. The rebus is taught in 102’s chapter 04.