Cuneiform Sign Tar

It has no single English translation. The cuneiform sign TAR can represent a whole Sumerian word or a sequence of sounds, depending on the text. Its Sumerian value tar means “to cut,” but that is only one option. A standalone 𒋻 cannot tell you which reading applies.

The earliest surviving written evidence for Sumerian tar is from Early Dynastic IIIa, an early period of Sumerian writing. The sign also appears in Akkadian texts, another ancient language written in cuneiform. In both languages, scribes used it in texts and sign lists.

Why can 𒋻 have different readings?

Language, period, and neighboring signs decide which value TAR carries. Sumerian sign lists give TAR several values: tar (“to cut”), kud (“cut”), sila (“street” or a unit of measure), and a garment-related value. Sign combinations such as gu₂-TAR and nam-TAR add other uses. In Akkadian, it can also be read tar, tir, kud, ḫas, or sil.

A narrower case appears in Neo-Babylonian spelling: TAR can represent ṭalx or ṭilx in forms of the Akkadian verb baṭālu, “to stop.” The label TAR does not tell you which word a text is spelling.

Why does 𒋻 look different in different fonts?

The encoded sign stays the same; its drawn form can change. Cuneiform shapes changed across historical periods and writing styles. The Unicode chart’s representative glyph is primarily Ur III style, so a font designed for another period may draw 𒋻 differently.

That change in appearance does not change which sign it is. The language and surrounding text still determine which reading applies.