Cuneiform One-Third Sign

It marks one-third in Mesopotamian cuneiform measurement.

Cuneiform sign lists—catalogues of signs—name it ŠUŠANA and also record šuda as a related reading for a length unit. The surrounding notation identifies which unit is divided. These systems recorded weights, lengths, areas, and capacities.

The number system around this sign evolved over time. Mesopotamian accounting developed from clay tokens into proto-cuneiform, an early form of cuneiform writing, around c. 3300 BCE. By c. 2400 BCE, mathematical texts used basic fractions such as one-third. Those dates describe the fraction tradition, not the first appearance of this exact sign. Later place-value calculation changed the surrounding notation, while older measurement signs continued in mathematical work.

why does 𒑚 look different?

Its outline depends on the font and the cuneiform style it represents.

Unicode identifies the sign, not one ancient drawing. Cuneiform forms vary by region and period: Old Babylonian, Ur III (Ur’s Third Dynasty), and Neo-Assyrian styles do not share a single outline. A modern font adds another layer, so this glyph can look different across displays while still representing the same sign.

Noto Sans Cuneiform covers this block. On Windows 11, Segoe UI Historic is listed for Sumero-Akkadian Cuneiform. Some apps may still show a box or question mark if their fallback fonts do not cover the sign.

how do I type 𒑚?

Use a Unicode-aware input method.

Enter U+1245A in your editor’s Unicode input; the keystrokes vary by app. In code, use the Unicode escape syntax supported by your programming language. If a box or question mark appears, check font coverage before assuming the character is wrong.