Cuneiform Sign Gu2

It writes several Sumerian values; context picks one.

In Sumerian, the sign can write the word conventionally transliterated gu₂, meaning “neck”; other values include “edge,” “bank,” “totality,” “pulse,” “voice,” and “load.” The subscript ₂ is modern scholarly notation that distinguishes GU₂ from other signs also transliterated gu; it is not a wedge in the ancient sign. In Akkadian writing, GU₂ can serve as a Sumerogram—a Sumerian sign used within Akkadian writing—for a word meaning “neck” or “bank, shore.”

Cuneiform began at Uruk around 3400–3300 BCE as a way to keep records of goods and services. GU₂ belongs to that evolving writing system. Its wedge outline changed across periods, while the glyph on this page is a modern representative form.

What does it mean when someone sends 𒄘?

On its own, it points to cuneiform, not a fixed reaction.

In a modern chat, read it as a reference to cuneiform. In an inscription, the surrounding signs, language, and period help determine whether it represents a Sumerian value or an Akkadian Sumerogram. A solitary sign from an old text cannot safely be translated without that context.

GU₂ also joins other signs in compounds with their own readings. GU₂.GAR₃ is IDIGNA, the written name of the Tigris; MAŠ.GU₂.GAR₃ is DALLA, meaning “bright” or “fierce.”

Why does 𒄘 look different in fonts?

The same encoded sign can have different historical outlines.

Cuneiform signs are patterns of wedge impressions, and modern fonts model styles such as Old Babylonian, Neo-Assyrian, or Hittite. A font can represent one period’s style and make 𒄘 look unlike another font’s version; the drawing changes, while the encoded character stays the same.