Na (cuneiform)

The cuneiform na sign is a common, multi-use sign, a syllabic for na, and an alphabetic sign used for n, or a; it is common in both the Epic of Gilgamesh over hundreds of years, and the 1350 BC Amarna letters. In the Epic of Gilgamesh it also has sumerogramic (capital letter (majuscule)) usage for NA. One such use of NA.GAD in the Epic (also LÚ.NA.GAD, and the plural LÚ.NA.GAD.MEŠ), for Akkadian language "nāqidu", "herdsman". The usage for NA in herdsman is only for 3 spellings.

One reason for its commodity (na is the second-most commonly found cuneiform, exceeded only by a) is due to its usage in the phrase a-na (Akkadian language "ana") -, which had a usage in English akin to: to, for, by, of, and at. It is also a component for the Akkadian language preposition: i-na (ina), meaning: in, into, by, etc..

The na sign usage from the Epic of Gilgamesh is as follows: na-(736 times), NA-(24).

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