Bi (cuneiform)

The cuneiform bi sign, also pí, and used for other syllabic forms, as well as a sumerogram, is a common use syllabic and alphabetic cuneiform sign used in both the mid-14th century BC Amarna letters and the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the Amarna letters, it is sometimes used for the spelling of the archers (Egyptian pitati), 'pí-t(x)-t(x)', an often requested need from the Pharaoh in the vassal state sub-corpus of the letters.

Cuneiform sign for bi, pí; also in the Epic of Gilgamesh, bé, gaš, kaš, and sumerogram, KAŠ, for "beer".
Amarna letter EA 9-(Reverse), Burra-Buriyaš to Pharaoh, "Ancient Loyalties, New Requests".[1]
Last line: 'a series of gifts' "...I send (to) you." ("...ul-te-bi-la..x-x.") (Akkadian language, "abālu", to bring, carry)[2]
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As a sumerogram, (capital letter (majuscule)), sign bi is used for KAŠ, Akkadian language for "šikāru",[3] beer.

The following linguistic elements for bi are used in the Epic:[4]

bé
bi
gaš
kaš
pí
KAŠ, sumerogram: "beer"

The bi sign's usage numbers in the Epic of Gilgamesh are as follows: bé-(25 times), bi-(190), gaš-(1), kaš-(12), pí-(2), KAŠ-(1).[5]

Amarna letters usage

Use of pí, Egyptian archers

The archers were part of the Egyptian army, and often requested by the Canaanite vassal city-states, when writing to the Pharaoh in the Amarna letters. They were named the pitati, Akkadian language "piṭātu",[6] "troops of soldiers", and spelled in a variety of ways, often starting with the bi sign as pí.

A partial listing of spellings of "ERIM.MEŠ-pitati", by Amarna letter:

References
  1. Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 9, Ancient Loyalties, New Requests, pp. 18-19.
  2. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Glossary, pp. 119-145, abālu, p. 119.
  3. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Glossary, pp. 119-145, šikāru, p. 142.
  4. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Sign List, pp. 155-165, Sign no. 214, p. 159.
  5. Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Sign List, pp. 155-165, Sign no. 214, p. 159.
  6. Rainey, 1970. El Amarna Tablets, 359-379, Glossary:Vocabulary, piṭātu, pp. 55-87, p. 75.
  • Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. 393 pages. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)
  • 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, and Glossary (pp. 119–145), 165 pages.
  • Rainey, 1970. El Amarna Tablets, 359–379, Anson F. Rainey, (AOAT 8, Alter Orient, Altes Testament 8, Kevelaer and Neukirchen -Vluyen), 1970, 107 pages.
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