Closed syllables: cuneiform signs with two consonants

This reference table gives many of the main CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) signs needed for reading Akkadian in cuneiform (and lots of rare ones too). It is unlikely that you will need all of them, unless you become a professional cuneiformist, but it is fun to see them nevertheless. Complete lists are published in the books described on the using sign lists page.

The consonants are grouped by sound, as described on the phonology page. It explains there why some syllables with different vowels and/or consonants are written with the same sign. In general (but not always), sign values with i are also valid for e. Because final consonants are usually interchangeable within each phonological group (e.g. ๐’ = bad, bat, and baแนญ), we have not systematically listed them.

Signs starting with dentals

dab๐’ณ tab๐’‹ฐ แนญab๐’‹ฐ
dad๐’‹บ tad๐’‹บ แนญadโ€”
dag๐’– tag๐’‹ณ แนญag๐’–
dah๐’ˆญ tah๐’ˆญ แนญah๐’ˆญ
dal๐’Š‘ tal๐’Š‘ แนญal๐’Š‘
dam๐’ฎ tam๐’Œ“ แนญam๐’ฎ
dan๐’†— tan๐’†— แนญan๐’†—
dar๐’ฏ tar๐’‹ป แนญar๐’‹ป
daลก๐’Œจ taลก๐’Œจ แนญaลกโ€”
dib๐’ณ tib๐’ณ แนญib๐’ณ
did๐’…Ž tid๐’…Ž แนญidโ€”
dig๐’‰Œ tig๐’„˜ แนญigโ€”
dih๐’พ tihโ€” แนญihโ€”
dil๐’€ธ til๐’Œ€ แนญil๐’€ธ
dim๐’ด tim๐’ด แนญim๐’ด
din๐’ท tin๐’ท แนญin๐’ท
dir๐’‹›๐’€€ tir๐’Œ แนญir๐’‹›๐’€€
diลก๐’น tiลก๐’น แนญiลก๐’น
dub๐’พ tub๐’พ แนญub2๐’‚€
dud๐’‰บ๐’œ tud๐’Œ… แนญudโ€”
dug๐’‚ tug๐’Œ‡ แนญugโ€”
duh๐’ƒฎ tuh๐’ƒฎ แนญuh๐’ƒฎ
dul๐’Œ‹๐’Œ† tul๐’Œ‹๐’Œ† แนญul๐’‡ฅ
dum๐’Œˆ tum๐’Œˆ แนญum๐’Œˆ
dun๐’‚„ tun๐’„ฝ แนญunโ€”
dur๐’„™ tur๐’Œ‰ แนญur๐’„™
duลก๐’†ช tuลก๐’†ช แนญuลก๐’†ช

Bilabials

bab๐’‰ฝ pap๐’‰ฝ
bad๐’ pad๐’‰ป
bag๐’„ท pag๐’„ท
bah๐’„ท pah๐’ˆœ
bal๐’„ pal๐’„
bamโ€” pamโ€”
ban๐’‰ผ pan๐’‰ผ
bar๐’‡ par๐’Œ“
baลก๐’ˆฆ paลกโ€”
bibโ€” pipโ€”
bid๐’‚ pid๐’‚
big๐’‹ pik๐’‹
bihโ€” pih๐’ˆœ
bil๐’‰ˆ pil๐’‰ˆ
bimโ€” pimโ€”
bin๐’€ณ pin๐’€ณ
bir๐’„ต pir๐’Œ“
biลก๐’„ซ piลก๐’„ซ
bubโ€” pupโ€”
budโ€” pudโ€”
buk๐’ˆฎ puk๐’ˆฎ
buh๐’ˆœ puh๐’ˆœ
bul๐’‡ง pul๐’‡ง
bum๐’…ค pum๐’…ค
bun๐’‡Œ punโ€”
bur๐’“ pur๐’“
buลก๐’†œ puลก2๐’‰ฝ๐’„ฌ

Palatals

gab๐’ƒฎ kab๐’† qab๐’ƒฎ
gad๐’ƒฐ kad๐’ƒฐ qad๐’ƒฐ
gag๐’†• kak๐’†• qaq๐’†•
gahโ€” kahโ€” qahโ€”
gal๐’ƒฒ kal๐’†— qal๐’ƒฒ
gam๐’ƒต kam๐’„ฐ qam๐’ƒต
gan๐’ƒถ kan๐’ƒถ qan๐’ƒถ
gar๐’ƒป kar๐’‹ผ๐’€€ qar๐’ƒผ
gaลก๐’‰ kaลก๐’‰ qaลกโ€”
gib๐’„ƒ kib๐’„’ qib๐’„’
gid๐’†ค kid๐’†ค qid๐’†ค
gig๐’ˆช๐’‰ญ kik๐’ˆช๐’‰ญ qiq๐’ˆช๐’‰ญ
gihโ€” kihโ€” qihโ€”
gil๐’„ƒ kil๐’†ธ qil๐’†ธ
gim๐’ถ kim๐’ถ qim๐’ถ
gin๐’บ kin๐’†ฅ qin๐’†ฅ
gir๐’„ซ kir๐’„ซ qir๐’„ซ
giลก๐’„‘ kiลก๐’†ง qiลก๐’†ง
gub๐’บ kub๐’บ qub๐’บ
gud๐’„ž kud๐’‹ป qud๐’‹ป
gug๐’๐’„ข kuk๐’†ฌ quqโ€”
guhโ€” kuhโ€” quhโ€”
gul๐’„ข kul๐’†ฐ qul๐’†ฐ
gum๐’„ฃ kum๐’„ฃ qum๐’„ฃ
gun๐’„˜๐’Œฆ kun๐’†ฒ qun๐’†ฒ
gur๐’„ฅ kur๐’†ณ qur๐’„ฅ
guลก๐’‹ข kuลก๐’‹ข quลกโ€”

Sibilants

sab๐’‰บ๐’… แนฃab๐’‚Ÿ ลกab๐’‰บ๐’… zab๐’‚Ÿ
sad๐’†ณ แนฃadโ€” ลกad๐’†ณ zadโ€”
sag๐’Š• แนฃak๐’  ลกag๐’Š• zag๐’ 
sah๐’†ค แนฃah๐’‰ˆ ลกah๐’‹š zah๐’‰ˆ
sal๐’Šฉ แนฃal๐’‰Œ ลกal๐’Šฉ zal๐’‰Œ
sam๐’Œ‘ แนฃamโ€” ลกam๐’Œ‘ zamโ€”
san๐’Š• แนฃanโ€” ลกan๐’‰“ zanโ€”
sar๐’Šฌ แนฃar๐’‡ก ลกar๐’Šฌ zar๐’‡ก
sas๐’‹€ แนฃaแนฃโ€” ลกaลก๐’‹€ zaz๐’
sib๐’ˆจ แนฃib๐’ฆ ลกib๐’ˆจ zib๐’ฆ
sid๐’ˆป แนฃidโ€” ลกid๐’‹ƒ zid๐’ฃ
sig๐’‹ แนฃigโ€” ลกig๐’‹ zig๐’จ
sih๐’‹š แนฃihโ€” ลกih๐’‹š zih๐’„—
sil๐’‹ป แนฃil๐’‰ฃ ลกil๐’‹ป zil๐’‰ฃ
sim๐’‹† แนฃim๐’ฎ ลกim๐’‹† zimโ€”
sin๐’Œ แนฃin๐’Œ ลกin๐’Šฟ zin๐’Šฟ
sir๐’‹ค แนฃir๐’ˆฒ ลกir๐’‹“ zir๐’†ฐ
sis๐’‹€ แนฃiแนฃ๐’ ลกiลก๐’‹€ ziz๐’
sub๐’…ข แนฃubโ€” ลกub๐’Š’ zub๐’†›
sud๐’‹ค แนฃudโ€” ลกud๐’‹ค zudโ€”
sug๐’†น แนฃugโ€” ลกug๐’‰ป zug๐’†น
suh๐’ˆฝ แนฃuhโ€” ลกuh๐’ˆฝ zuh๐’…—
sul๐’‚„ แนฃulโ€” ลกul๐’‚„ zulโ€”
sum๐’‹ง แนฃum๐’ฎ ลกum๐’‹ณ zum๐’ฎ
sun๐’Œ€ แนฃunโ€” ลกun๐’Šฟ zunโ€”
sur๐’‹ฉ แนฃur๐’€ซ ลกur๐’‹ฉ zur๐’€ซ
sus๐’ˆฝ แนฃuแนฃโ€” ลกuลก๐’Œ‹ zuzโ€”

Nasals

mabโ€” nab๐’€ฎ
mad๐’†ณ nad๐’†ณ
magโ€” nag๐’…˜
mah๐’ˆค nah๐’ˆ›
mal๐’‚ท nalโ€”
mam๐’Œ‹๐’Œ‹ nam๐’‰†
man๐’Œ‹๐’Œ‹ nan๐’‹€
mar๐’ˆฅ nar๐’ˆœ
maลก๐’ˆฆ naลก๐’ˆฆ
mibโ€” nib๐’Š‹
mid๐’…‚ nid๐’‘
migโ€” nig๐’Šฉ๐’Œจ
mih๐’ˆค nihโ€”
mil๐’…– nilโ€”
mim๐’Šฉ nim๐’‰
min๐’ˆซ nin๐’Šฉ๐’Œ†
mir๐’‚‡ nir๐’‰ช
miลก๐’ˆฉ niลก๐’Œ‹๐’Œ‹
mubโ€” nubโ€”
mud๐’„ท๐’„ญ nud๐’ˆฟ
mug๐’ˆฎ nug๐’‹
muh๐’Œ‹๐’…— nuhโ€”
mul๐’€ฏ nulโ€”
mum๐’Œค num๐’‰
mun๐’ต nun๐’‰ฃ
mur๐’„ฏ nur๐’‰ช
muลก๐’ˆฒ nuลกโ€”

Fricatives and liquids

hab๐’†ธ lab๐’†— rab๐’Š
had๐’‰บ lad๐’†ณ rad๐’‹ฅ
hagโ€” lag๐’‹ƒ rag๐’Šฉ
hahโ€” lah๐’Œ“ rah๐’ˆ›
hal๐’„ฌ lal๐’‡ฒ ralโ€”
hamโ€” lam๐’‡ด ram๐’‰˜
hanโ€” lanโ€” ranโ€”
har๐’„ฏ lar๐’‰บ rarโ€”
haลก๐’‹ป laลกโ€” raลก๐’†œ
hibโ€” lib๐’ˆœ rib๐’†—
hidโ€” lid๐’€– rid๐’ˆฉ
higโ€” lig๐’Œจ rig๐’‹†
hihโ€” lih๐’Œ“ rih๐’ˆ›
hilโ€” lil๐’‡ธ rilโ€”
himโ€” lim๐’…† rim๐’†ธ
hinโ€” linโ€” rin๐’†ธ
hir๐’†Ÿ lir๐’‰ช rirโ€”
hiลก๐’Œ“ liลก๐’‡บ riลก๐’Š•
hub๐’„ฝ lub๐’ˆœ rub๐’†—
hud๐’‰บ lud๐’‚ rud๐’‹ฅ
hug๐’‚  lug๐’‡ป rug๐’Šฟ
huhโ€” luh๐’ˆ› ruh๐’ˆ›
hul๐’…†๐’Œจ lul๐’ˆœ rulโ€”
hum๐’ˆ lum๐’ˆ rum๐’€ธ
hun๐’‚  lun๐’‰บ runโ€”
hur๐’„ฏ lurโ€” rurโ€”
huลก๐’„ญ๐’„Š luลกโ€” ruลก๐’„ญ๐’„Š

Content last modified on 07 Jul 2012.

Eleanor Robson

Eleanor Robson, 'Closed syllables: cuneiform signs with two consonants', Knowledge and Power, Higher Education Academy, 2012 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/knpp/cuneiformrevealed/learningsigns/closedsyllables/]

 
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ยฉ Higher Education Academy, 2007-11. Since 2015, SAAo is based at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitรคt Mรผnchen, Historisches Seminar (LMU Munich, History Department) - Alexander von Humboldt Chair for Ancient History of the Near and Middle East. Content released under a CC BY-SA 3.0 [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/] license, 2007-20.
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http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/saao/knpp/cuneiformrevealed/learningsigns/closedsyllables/