Cuneiform Sign HUL₂

The Sumerian value ḫul₂ means “to rejoice” or “be happy.” Scholars write the value as ḫul₂ in Latin letters; this scholarly transliteration labels a reading, not a second cuneiform sign. The subscript ₂ distinguishes this value from others.

Cuneiform grew in Uruk as urban administration expanded: early signs recorded quantities and goods, then the script developed to write full languages. The ePSD2 lexical record attests ḫul₂ by Early Dynastic IIIb, an early Sumerian textual period, and into later Sumerian and Akkadian periods.

what does 𒄾 mean in a message?

Alone, the sign does not identify its intended reading. Ask which language or source the sender means; recognizing cuneiform does not settle the value.

When precision matters, include a short gloss or name the source. Without that context, treat a bare sign as a cuneiform reference or decoration, not as a definite translation.

why can 𒄾 mean different things?

The surrounding language, gloss, and neighboring signs determine the reading. The sign list gives the Sumerian values ḫul₂ (“rejoice”), ukuš₂ (“cucumber”), and bibra (“vessel”), among others. In Akkadian texts, HUL₂ can work as a Sumerogram—a Sumerian sign used to write an Akkadian word—for ḫadûm, “rejoice” or “be happy.”

Catalogued compounds include AN.HUL₂ and LU.HUL₂. In scholarly transliteration, the period marks a boundary between signs; AN or LU comes before HUL₂ in each compound.