Cuneiform Sign Ashgab

𒀿 is read AŠGAB, meaning “leatherworker.” In Sumerian, ašgab names the worker; later Akkadian scribes used 𒀿 to write aškāpu, their word for “leatherworker.” It names a trade, not leather or shoes.

The Ebla ašgab sign list, from the ancient city of Ebla, belongs to profession lists from the early third millennium BCE; a Sumerian list called Lu A records gal-ašgab, “chief leatherworker.” These lists place the sign in a scribal tradition of naming trades, rather than as a one-off symbol.

Ur III (the Third Dynasty of Ur) shoe-workshop records describe leatherworkers in teams under foremen and making finished shoes. Across Sumerian and Akkadian contexts, the trade remains the anchor even as the written word changes.

Why does 𒀿 look different in different fonts?

The character stays the same; fonts draw it in different period styles. Unicode’s guidance for cuneiform says its chart glyphs are primarily in Ur III style, associated with the Third Dynasty of Ur; fonts may model other periods. A different wedge layout can reflect style rather than a different sign.

If a square appears, the font lacks a usable Cuneiform glyph. Choose a Cuneiform-capable font; for a historical transcription, check whether its style fits the period.