Cuneiform Numbers and Punctuation

{{also|Cuneiform (Unicode block)|Early Dynastic Cuneiform|l2=Early Dynastic Cuneiform (Unicode block)}}

{{for|a list of all numerals encoded in Unicode|Numerals in Unicode}}

{{Infobox Unicode block

|blockname = Cuneiform Numbers and Punctuation

|rangestart = 12400

|rangeend = 1247F

|script1 = Cuneiform

|symbols = Numeric signs
Fractions
Punctuation

|5_0 = 103

|7_0 = 13

|note = {{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/ucd/|title=Unicode character database|work=The Unicode Standard|access-date=2023-07-26}}{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/versions/enumeratedversions.html|title=Enumerated Versions of The Unicode Standard|work=The Unicode Standard|access-date=2023-07-26}}

}}

In Unicode, the Sumero-Akkadian Cuneiform script is covered in three blocks in the Supplementary Multilingual Plane (SMP):

The sample glyphs in the chart file published by the Unicode Consortium[https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U12000.pdf Cuneiform Unicode.org chart (PDF)] show the characters in their Classical Sumerian form (Early Dynastic period, mid 3rd millennium BCE). The characters as written during the 2nd and 1st millennia BCE, the era during which the vast majority of cuneiform texts were written, are considered font variants of the same characters.

Organization

The final proposal for Unicode encoding of the script was submitted by two cuneiform scholars working with an experienced Unicode proposal writer in June 2004.[http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n2786.pdf Unicode cuneiform]

The base character inventory is derived from the list of Ur III signs compiled by the Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative of UCLA based on the inventories of Miguel Civil, Rykle Borger (2003), and Robert Englund. Rather than opting for a direct ordering by glyph shape and complexity, according to the numbering of an existing catalogue, the Unicode order of glyphs was based on the Latin alphabetic order of their 'main' Sumerian transliteration as a practical approximation.

Block

{{Unicode chart Cuneiform Numbers and Punctuation}}

Signs

:See also list of cuneiform signs.

The following table allows matching of Borger's 1981 and 2003 numbering with Unicode characters (after Anderson's [http://www.cuneiformsigns.org/SignList1.htm sign list] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100408005006/http://cuneiformsigns.org/SignList1.htm |date=2010-04-08 }})

The "primary" transliteration column has the glyphs' Sumerian values as given by the official glyph name, slightly modified here for legibility by including traditional assyriological symbols such as "x" rather than "TIMES". The exact Unicode names can be unambiguously recovered by prefixing,

"CUNEIFORM [NUMERIC] SIGN", replacing "TIMES" for "x", "PLUS" for "+" and "OVER" for "/", "ASTERISK" for "*", "H" for "Ḫ", "SH" for "Š", and switching to uppercase.

class="wikitable sortable"
SignCode pointNameBorger
(2003)
Borger
(1981)
Comments
{{cuneiform|𒀸}}U+12038one AŠ001 1, from general Cuneiform_(Unicode_block) not this block
{{cuneiform|𒐀}}U+12400two AŠ00222, = U+1212C
{{cuneiform|𒐁}}U+12401three AŠ0043, EŠ6
{{cuneiform|𒐂}}U+12402four AŠ215124,424, LIMMU2, LIMM2, TAB.TAB
{{cuneiform|𒐃}}U+12403five AŠ2165, IA7, TAB.TAB.AŠ
{{cuneiform|𒐄}}U+12404six AŠ2176, AŠ4, TAB.TAB.TAB
{{cuneiform|𒐅}}U+12405seven AŠ2187, IMIN2, TAB.TAB.TAB.AŠ
{{cuneiform|𒐆}}U+12406eight AŠ2198, USSU2, TAB.TAB.TAB.TAB
{{cuneiform|𒐇}}U+12407nine AŠ2209, ILIMMU2, TAB.TAB.TAB.TAB.AŠ
{{cuneiform|𒐈}}U+12408three DIŠ8345933, 180, EŠ5
{{cuneiform|𒐉}}U+12409four DIŠ851; 852; 8533164, 240, ZA, LIMMU5, NIGIDALIMMU, = U+1235D
{{cuneiform|𒐊}}U+1240Afive DIŠ861598a5, 300, IA2
{{cuneiform|𒐋}}U+1240Bsix DIŠ862598b6, 360, AŠ3
{{cuneiform|𒐌}}U+1240Cseven DIŠ863598c7, 420
{{cuneiform|𒐍}}U+1240Deight DIŠ864598d8, 480
{{cuneiform|𒐎}}U+1240Enine DIŠ9, 540
{{cuneiform|𒐏}}U+1240Ffour U71347440, NIMIN
{{cuneiform|𒐐}}U+12410five U71447550, NINNU
{{cuneiform|𒐑}}U+12411six U71547660
{{cuneiform|𒐒}}U+12412seven U71647770
{{cuneiform|𒐓}}U+12413eight U71747880
{{cuneiform|𒐔}}U+12414nine U71847990
{{cuneiform|𒐕}}U+12415one GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐖}}U+12416two GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐗}}U+12417three GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐘}}U+12418four GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐙}}U+12419five GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐚}}U+1241Asix GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐛}}U+1241Bseven GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐜}}U+1241Ceight GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐝}}U+1241Dnine GEŠ2
{{cuneiform|𒐞}}U+1241Eone GEŠU824534GEŠ2.U; 600 or 70
{{cuneiform|𒐟}}U+1241Ftwo GEŠU1200 or 80
{{cuneiform|𒐠}}U+12420three GEŠU1800 or 90
{{cuneiform|𒐡}}U+12421four GEŠU2400 or 100
{{cuneiform|𒐢}}U+12422five GEŠU3000 or 110
{{cuneiform|𒐣}}U+12423two ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐤}}U+12424three ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐥}}U+12425three ŠAR2 variant form
{{cuneiform|𒐦}}U+12426four ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐧}}U+12427five ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐨}}U+12428six ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐩}}U+12429seven ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐪}}U+1242Aeight ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐫}}U+1242Bnine ŠAR2
{{cuneiform|𒐬}}U+1242Cone ŠARU65340936,000
{{cuneiform|𒐭}}U+1242Dtwo ŠARU72,000
{{cuneiform|𒐮}}U+1242Ethree ŠARU108,000
{{cuneiform|𒐯}}U+1242Fthree ŠARU variant form108,000
{{cuneiform|𒐰}}U+12430four ŠARU144,000
{{cuneiform|𒐱}}U+12431five ŠARU180,000
{{cuneiform|𒐲}}U+12432ŠAR2 x GAL.DIŠ651408216,000
{{cuneiform|𒐳}}U+12433ŠAR2 x GAL.MIN652408432,000
{{cuneiform|𒐴}}U+12434one BURU662350,8U gunû
{{cuneiform|𒐵}}U+12435two BURU
{{cuneiform|𒐶}}U+12436three BURU
{{cuneiform|𒐷}}U+12437three BURU variant form
{{cuneiform|𒐸}}U+12438four BURU
{{cuneiform|𒐹}}U+12439five BURU
{{cuneiform|𒐺}}U+1243A165053, = U+1203C
{{cuneiform|𒐻}}U+1243B212103
{{cuneiform|𒐼}}U+1243CLIMMU859; 8604, NIG2, GAR, NINDA
{{cuneiform|𒐽}}U+1243DLIMMU45064
{{cuneiform|𒐾}}U+1243E
{{cuneiform|𒐿}}U+1243F
{{cuneiform|𒑀}}U+1244095366, EŠ16.EŠ16
{{cuneiform|𒑁}}U+12441IMIN35377, UMUN9
{{cuneiform|𒑂}}U+12442IMIN8637
{{cuneiform|𒑃}}U+12443IMIN variant form8667
{{cuneiform|𒑄}}U+12444USSU8678
{{cuneiform|𒑅}}U+12445USSU35388
{{cuneiform|𒑆}}U+12446ILIMMU8689
{{cuneiform|𒑇}}U+12447ILIMMU35399, EŠ16.EŠ16.EŠ16
{{cuneiform|𒑈}}U+12448ILIMMU45779
{{cuneiform|𒑉}}U+12449DIŠ / DIŠ / DIŠ865v9
{{cuneiform|𒑊}}U+1244Atwo AŠ tenû593
{{cuneiform|𒑋}}U+1244Bthree AŠ tenû629
{{cuneiform|𒑌}}U+1244Cfour AŠ tenû854379; 380ZA tenû, ERIM tenû
{{cuneiform|𒑍}}U+1244Dfive AŠ tenû
{{cuneiform|𒑎}}U+1244Esix AŠ tenû
{{cuneiform|𒑏}}U+1244Fone BAN2122= U+12047
{{cuneiform|𒑐}}U+12450two BAN2
{{cuneiform|𒑑}}U+12451three BAN2
{{cuneiform|𒑒}}U+12452four BAN2
{{cuneiform|𒑓}}U+12453four BAN2 variant form
{{cuneiform|𒑔}}U+12454five BAN2
{{cuneiform|𒑕}}U+12455five BAN2 variant form
{{cuneiform|𒑖}}U+12456NIGIDAMIN847, 848
{{cuneiform|𒑗}}U+12457NIGIDAEŠ850
{{cuneiform|𒑘}}U+12458one EŠE3= U+12041, U+12300
{{cuneiform|𒑙}}U+12459two EŠE3= U+12049
{{cuneiform|𒑚}}U+1245Aone third826571ŠUŠANA
{{cuneiform|𒑛}}U+1245Btwo thirds832572
{{cuneiform|𒑜}}U+1245Cfive sixths838573KINGUSILA
{{cuneiform|𒑝}}U+1245Done third variant form
{{cuneiform|𒑞}}U+1245Etwo thirds variant form
{{cuneiform|𒑟}}U+1245Fone eighth
{{cuneiform|𒑠}}U+12460one quarter
{{cuneiform|𒑡}}U+12461Old Assyrian one sixth630Kültepe only
{{cuneiform|𒑢}}U+12462Old Assyrian one quarter
{{cuneiform|𒑰}}U+12470Old Assyrian word divider
{{cuneiform|𒑱}}U+12471vertical colon592Glossenkeil
{{cuneiform|𒑲}}U+12472diagonal colon592Glossenkeil
{{cuneiform|𒑳}}U+12473diagonal tricolon

History

The following Unicode-related documents record the purpose and process of defining specific characters in the Cuneiform Numbers and Punctuation block:

{{sticky header}}

class="wikitable collapsible sticky-header"
Version{{nobr|Final code points}}CountL2 IDWG2 IDDocument
rowspan="34" | 5.0rowspan="34" | U+12400..12462, 12470..12473rowspan="34" | 103{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2000/00128-pastscripts.pdf L2/00-128]}}{{Citation|title=Scripts from the Past in Future Versions of Unicode|date=2000-03-01|first=Carl-Martin|last=Bunz}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2000/00153-bunz.htm L2/00-153]}}{{Citation|title=Further comments on historic scripts|date=2000-04-26|first=Carl-Martin|last=Bunz}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2000/00398-Cuneiform.txt L2/00-398]}}{{Citation|title=Cuneiform: From Clay Tablet to Computer|date=2000-11-07|first=Dean|last=Snyder}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2000/00419-n2297-cunei.pdf L2/00-419]}}[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n2297.pdf N2297]{{Citation|title=Legacy cuneiform font implementations and the ICE project|date=2000-11-20|first=Michael|last=Everson|author-link=Michael Everson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2003/03162-n2585-cuneiform.pdf L2/03-162]}}[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n2585.pdf N2585]{{Citation|title=Basic principles for the encoding of Sumero-Akkadian Cuneiform|date=2003-05-25|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Karljürgen|last2=Feuerherm}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2003/03415-cuneiform.pdf L2/03-415]}}{{Citation|title=Proposal to Encode the Sumero-Akkadian Cuneiform Script in the UCS|date=2003-11-01|first=Dean|last=Snyder}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2003/03393r-cuneiform.pdf L2/03-393R]}}[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n2664.pdf N2664R]{{Citation|title=Preliminary proposal to encode Cuneiform script in the SMP of the UCS|date=2003-11-03|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Karljürgen|last2=Feuerherm|first3=Steve|last3=Tinney}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2003/03416-cep-anderson.txt L2/03-416]}}{{Citation|title=The Cuneiform Encoding Proposal -- a View of its Current Status|date=2003-11-03|first=Lloyd|last=Anderson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04080-n2664r-delta.pdf L2/04-080]}}{{Citation|title=Rationale for changes to N2664R|date=2004-01-24|first=Steve|last=Tinney}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04036-n2698-cuneiform.pdf L2/04-036]}}[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n2698.pdf N2698]{{Citation|title=Revised proposal to encode Cuneiform script in the SMP of the UCS|date=2004-01-29|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Karljürgen|last2=Feuerherm|first3=Steve|last3=Tinney}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04041-fitting-cuneiform.pdf L2/04-041]}}{{Citation|title=Fitting Cuneiform Encoding to Cuneiform Script|date=2004-01-29|first=Lloyd|last=Anderson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04059-feuerherm-cuneiform.txt L2/04-059]}}{{Citation|title=Short Response to L2/04-041 "Fitting Cuneiform Encoding to Cuneiform Script"|date=2004-01-30|first=Karljürgen|last=Feuerherm}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04063-gewecke.txt L2/04-063]}}{{Citation|title=Re: Cuneiform at UTC|date=2004-01-30|first=Tom|last=Gewecke}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04056-veldhuis-cuneiform.txt L2/04-056]}}{{Citation|title=Letter re "Cuneiform Unicode"|date=2004-01-31|first=Niek|last=Veldhuis}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04057-jones-cuneiform.txt L2/04-057]}}{{Citation|title=Letter re "Cuneiform"|date=2004-02-01|first=Charles E.|last=Jones}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04058-michalowski-cuneiform.txt L2/04-058]}}{{Citation|title=Letter re "cuneiform unicode"|date=2004-02-01|first=Piotr|last=Michalowski}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04064-cooper.txt L2/04-064]}}{{Citation|title=Letter re "unicode proposal"|date=2004-02-01|first=Jerry|last=Cooper}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04066-durusau.txt L2/04-066]}}{{Citation|title=Letter re "Proposal N2698"|date=2004-02-02|first=Patrick|last=Durusau}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04081-black-cuneiform.txt L2/04-081]}}{{Citation|title=Letter re "cuneiform Unicode proposal"|date=2004-02-02|first=Jeremy|last=Black|author-link=Jeremy Black (assyriologist)}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04086-anderson-notes.pdf L2/04-086]}}{{Citation|title=Notes for verbal presentation to UTC meeting, 3 February 2004|date=2004-02-03|first=Lloyd|last=Anderson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04099-num-unification.pdf L2/04-099]}}{{Citation|title=Unification of cuneiform numbers|date=2004-02-09|first=Lloyd|last=Anderson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04225-anderson.pdf L2/04-225]}}{{Citation|title=Proposed modifications to introductory text of N2798 = L204-189 Proposal for Cuneiform Encoding|date=2004-06-07|first=Lloyd|last=Anderson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04189-n2786-cuneiform.pdf L2/04-189]}}[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n2786.pdf N2786]{{Citation|title=Final proposal to encode Cuneiform script|date=2004-06-08|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Karljürgen|last2=Feuerherm|first3=Steve|last3=Tinney}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04223r-anderson.pdf L2/04-223R]}}{{Citation|title=Proposed modifications to delete and add signs to N2798 = L204-189 Proposal for Cuneiform Encoding|date=2004-06-11|first=Lloyd|last=Anderson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2004/04354-cuneiform-props.html L2/04-354]}}{{Citation|title=Cuneiform Properties|date=2004-09-20|first=Rick|last=McGowan}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2005/05135r-cuneiform-fix.pdf L2/05-135]}}{{Citation|title=Corrections to N2786|date=2005-05-10|first=Steve|last=Tinney}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2005/05174-irish-cmt.txt L2/05-174]}}{{Citation|title=Irish comments on Cuneiform|date=2005-07-28|first=Michael|last=Everson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2005/05108.htm L2/05-108R]}}{{Citation|title=UTC #103 Minutes|date=2005-08-26|first=Lisa|last=Moore|section=Cuneiform (C.17)}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n2953.pdf N2953 (pdf],}} [https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n2953.doc doc]){{Citation|title=Unconfirmed minutes of WG 2 meeting 47, Sophia Antipolis, France; 2005-09-12/15|date=2006-02-16|first=V. S.|last=Umamaheswaran|section=M47.12}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12112.htm L2/12-112]}}{{Citation|title=UTC #131 / L2 #228 Minutes|date=2012-05-17|first=Lisa|last=Moore|section=Consensus 131-C30|quote=Change the numeric values for 1240F..12414 to 40..90, for Unicode 6.2.}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12240-prop-issues-62.pdf L2/12-240]}}{{Citation|title=Property Issues for U6.2|date=2012-07-20|first=Mark|last=Davis|author-link=Mark Davis (Unicode)}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12239.htm L2/12-239]}}{{Citation|title=UTC #132 Minutes|date=2012-08-14|first=Lisa|last=Moore|section=Consensus 132-C19|quote=Give U+12432 and U+12433 the numeric type "numeric" and the numeric values 216,000, and 432,000 respectively. Make U+12456 and 12457 have the numeric type "numeric" and value "-1".}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12328-cuneiform-props.pdf L2/12-328]}}{{Citation|title=Numeric value fixes for two cuneiform characters|date=2012-10-16|first=Deborah|last=Anderson}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/consortium/utc-minutes/UTC-133-2012011.html L2/12-343R2]}}{{Citation|title=UTC #133 Minutes|date=2012-12-04|first=Lisa|last=Moore|section=Consensus 133-C30|quote=Change the numeric value of U+12456 to 2 and U+12457 to 3, for Unicode 6.3.}}
rowspan="3" | 7.0rowspan="3" | U+12463..1246E, 12474rowspan="3" | 13{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12002-n4178-cuneiform-add.pdf L2/12-002]}}[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n4178.pdf N4178R]{{Citation|title=Proposal for additions and corrections to Sumero-Akkadian Cuneiform|date=2012-01-16|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Steve|last2=Tinney}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12207r-n4277r-cuneiform-add.pdf L2/12-207R]}}[https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n4277.pdf N4277R]{{Citation|title=Proposal for additions and corrections to Sumero-Akkadian Cuneiform|date=2012-07-31|first1=Michael|last1=Everson|first2=Steve|last2=Tinney}}
{{nobr|[https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12239.htm L2/12-239]}}{{Citation|title=UTC #132 Minutes|date=2012-08-14|first=Lisa|last=Moore|section=C.3}}
class="sortbottom"

| colspan="6" | {{reflist|group=lower-alpha|refs=Proposed code points and characters names may differ from final code points and names}}

See also

References

  • Rylke Borger, Assyrisch-Babylonische Zeichenliste, 2nd ed., Neukirchen-Vluyn (1981)
  • Rylke Borger, [http://www.jhu.edu/ice/BorgerMZ/BorgerMZ.html Mesopotamisches Zeichenlexikon], Münster (2003). *Michael Everson, Karljürgen Feuerherm, Steve Tinney, [http://www.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n2786.pdf "Final proposal to encode the Cuneiform script in the SMP of the UCS"], ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N2786 (2004).

=Font packages=

  • [http://users.teilar.gr/~g1951d/ Akkadian] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721083505/http://users.teilar.gr/~g1951d/Akkadian256.zip |date=2011-07-21 }} (reproduces the Sumerian (3rd millennium BC) glyphs given in the Unicode ([https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U12000.pdf reference chart]), by [http://users.teilar.gr/~g1951d/ George Douros] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721083505/http://users.teilar.gr/~g1951d/Akkadian256.zip |date=2011-07-21 }}.
  • {{in lang|de}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927202708/http://flaez.ch/freeidg.html FreeIdgSerif] (branched off FreeSerif), encodes some 390 Old Assyrian (2nd millennium BC) glyphs used in Hittite cuneiform.

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Category:Cuneiform

Cuneiform