The cuneiform sign ik, (and iq), is a common-use sign of the Amarna letters, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and other cuneiform texts (for example Hittite texts). It has a common secondary use in the Amarna letters for "iq", for the spelling of Akkadian "qabû", for English "to speak", in dialogue to the pharaoh in the letters.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/B136_Hittite_ig.jpg)
Linguistically, it has the alphabetical usage in texts for k, or q, or g. And a replacement for any of the four vowels, a, e, i, u.
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Epic of Gilgamesh usage
editThe ik sign usage in the Epic of Gilgamesh is as follows: (eg, 2 times, ek, 13, eq, 2, ig, 9, ik, 51, iq, 27, and IG, 8 times).[1]
Gallery
editqabû, (yi-ik-bi), using iq (cuneiform), line 27
(first full line (in cropped photo), of Amarna letter EA 245, Reverse)
qabû = (English, "to say, tell")[2]
(Full cuneiform line of EA 245, Reverse, line 27):
27.ù yi-iq-bi a-na ia-a- [ ši ]
___u qabû ana iāši —
___and said to me —
References
edit- ^ Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Sign List, pp. 155-165, no. 080, p. 156.
- ^ Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Glossary, pp. 119-145, qabû, p. 137; English, "to say, tell".
- Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Parpola, Simo, Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, c 1997, Tablet I thru Tablet XII, Index of Names, Sign List,