Cuneiform sign DUH

It is a Sumerian sign; the surrounding word selects its reading.

The sign list gives this character values including du₈, duh, and tuh. In Sumerian, du₈ can write a verb meaning “spread,” while duh can write “loosen” or the noun “bran.” These Latin spellings label possible sign values; none is a translation that fits every line.

Cuneiform began at Uruk around 3400–3300 BCE to record goods and services. The writing system later grew from mostly word signs into one whose signs could represent words or syllables, and it was adapted for Akkadian, Hittite, and other languages.

Why does 𒂃 look different in different fonts?

Cuneiform fonts can draw the same sign in period-specific forms.

Scribes changed cuneiform signs over time, across regions, and between carved and clay writing. Modern fonts choose among these styles, so silhouettes can vary while the encoded character stays 𒂃.

A compound is a recorded spelling made from several signs. Oracc lists 𒃰𒋺𒂃 (GAD+TAK₄.DUH) and 𒉭𒂃𒀀 (NUNUZ.DUH.A), each containing DUH. A missing-glyph box means the font has no cuneiform glyph for it.

What does 𒂃 mean when someone sends it?

Alone, it may be a sign sample or an identification prompt.

Read the surrounding message before assigning the sender a meaning. If they want to discuss a tablet, ask for its neighboring signs, language, and period; the glyph by itself cannot settle the translation.