Cuneiform Sign Sig4

Its usual gloss is “brick,” but the context sets the exact reading.

Sumerian sign lists—lists of signs and their readings—use SIG₄ to write šeg₁₂, “brick” or “mudbrick.” Akkadian word lists pair it with libittu, meaning “mudbrick.” The lists also record less common values such as “wall,” “baked,” “carp,” and “voice.” The subscript 4 distinguishes this sign from others transliterated sig; it is part of scholarly spelling, not a fourth meaning.

An isolated glyph is not a complete translation. The line around it, or the kind of text it appears in, supplies the clues.

When does SIG₄ appear in the record?

An Uruk IV lexical tablet is an early attestation.

The tablet places SIG₄ in an archaic sign list. Early cuneiform tablets served administrative needs, recording quantities and goods as cities expanded. This setting helps explain why a brick sign belongs among records of supplies and building work.

The sign remains tied to bricks and walls in later Sumerian and Akkadian writing, including lexical pairings and building-related spellings. It cannot be traced one-to-one to an earlier token or seal image; cuneiform developed through several administrative and visual practices.

Why does SIG₄ look different in fonts?

A font draws one sign model; it cannot show every tablet style. Printed signs can differ markedly from marks impressed in clay or cut into stone, and writing styles changed across periods. Compare the surrounding sign system and its period style before treating two renderings as different characters. An empty box means the font lacks this sign.

Inside a compound, SIG₄ can contribute to a narrower reading. The transliteration SIG₄.AB₂ is used for “half-brick”; SIG₄.AL.UR₃.RA identifies baked brick. The dots separate signs in the written sequence, so SIG₄ alone does not spell the full compound meaning.