Hieroglyphs Addenda · Signs

𓋴S29 · s · folded cloth

cloth

Where it comes from

A folded cloth — linen doubled over a stand or arm, hanging in a tall narrow S of fabric. It writes s, one of the commonest sounds in the language; among its jobs is the causativea verb build meaning "make someone do it" — the tree falls, the woodsman FELLS it; Akkadian builds it with š- in front (šūbilam, "make-carry it — send it") prefix s-, which turns “live” into “make live.”

How to remember it

The cloth hangs in folds that hiss when they slide — s. And put the cloth in front of a verb and it dresses the verb up into a causing: ꜥnḫ live, s-ꜥnḫ bring to life.

In the wild

Piece by piece:

• s- — this cloth, the causativea verb build meaning "make someone do it" — the tree falls, the woodsman FELLS it; Akkadian builds it with š- in front (šūbilam, "make-carry it — send it"): make…
• ꜥnḫ — …live: the ankh

Two signs, and the sculptor’s whole job description: he makes the stone live. The sign is taught in 101’s chapter 04.